Italy tightens curbs on unvaccinated as COVID-19 cases rise

People wear protective masks as they walk down a street, as the city makes masks mandatory outdoors in busy areas amid a rise in coronavirus cases, ahead of Christmas, in Rome, Italy, December 4, 2021. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

ROME (Reuters) - Italy tightened curbs on Monday on people still not vaccinated against COVID-19, limiting their access to an array of places and services.

The measures were announced last month, even before the discovery of the Omicron variant, and come as cases of coronavirus are starting to tick up across the country, albeit at a slower rate than in many other European nations.