The first €1000 fines were issued on Saturday to the owners of three businesses in the town of Salerno, including a bar and a hairdressing salon.
“If our fellow citizens think the problem has been fixed, that means that within a few weeks we’ll go back to a tough emergency,” Campania Governor Vincenzo de Luca said on Facebook on Friday, hours before an administrative order toughening coronavirus measures was issued.
“We knew there would be a spike in infections, it was largely predicted.”
Masks are compulsory in enclosed areas, including public buildings, supermarkets, bars, restaurants, businesses and on public transport.
According to the new rules, “transport operators are bound to refuse to let in passengers not wearing masks”.
If already on board, they will be sanctioned and “invited to disembark immediately or as soon as possible.”
Should they refuse, “the bus or train will be blocked” and the law enforcement officers will be asked to intervene.”
“If the offence was committed in the exercise of a business activity” by the owner or one of his/her employees, the establishment could be punished, in addition to the fine, by the “closure of the business for five to 30 days”.
The penalty could be doubled for repeat offenders.
Italy has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with over 35,000 deaths recorded and more than 242,000 confirmed cases since the outbreak began in February.
