Man Caught Wearing Fake Arm While Getting COVID Vaccine: ‘Ridiculous’

Man Caught Wearing Fake Arm While Getting COVID Vaccine: ‘Ridiculous’

An Italian man is facing fraud charges after he was caught trying to get the COVID-19 vaccine while wearing a fake arm, an act that has been branded as bordering on "ridiculous" by local officials.

The man, reportedly in his 50s, wanted to get obtain a "green pass," or a COVID-19 certificate, without being vaccinated against COVID-19. He wore a silicone prosthetic to his vaccine appointment in Biella, a town near Turin in the northern Piedmont region in Italy.

"Green passes" were first introduced in the country in August, and were made mandatory for the workplace in October. The certificates are obtained by either naturally recovering from the virus within the past six months, or being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The passes are also required in other parts of Europe as part of measures aimed at curbing transmission of the virus.