“We still have a way to go, but we’re into the final mile,” Francesco Figlioulo said on Sunday.

Italy had fully vaccinated 55.77 per cent of its population aged 12 and over by Monday morning, according to the latest official figures, representing 30.1 million people.

According to the government’s most recent weekly report, 7 per cent of over-80s are still yet to receive their first dose, followed by almost 12 per cent of people aged 70 to 79 and 17.5 per cent of people aged 60 to 69.

Over a quarter of people aged 50 to 59 – 25.6 per cent – still have not received their first dose.

Around 2 per cent of those working in the healthcare industry are unvaccinated and among people working in schools, just over 15 per cent are yet to get their first dose.

The government is considering making vaccinations compulsory for teachers ahead of the new school year.

With Italy facing a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, the government continues to urge everyone eligible to get vaccinated. 

“The vaccine is the essential weapon to put these difficult months behind us,” Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Sunday.

The government last week announced a major expansion of the country’s “green pass” scheme as part of a strategy to avoid a new lockdown and boost vaccination rates.

From August 6, people in Italy will need the pass to enter gyms, swimming pools, museums, cinemas, theatres, sports stadiums and other public venues, including indoor seating areas at bars and restaurants.

The green pass is official proof of being vaccinated, having recently tested positive for COVID-19, or having recovered from the virus.

Protests against the expansion of the scheme broke out in several Italian cities over the weekend, though multiple regions also reported a sharp rise in vaccination bookings.

The Lazio regional health councillor Alessio D’Amato said that the region – which surrounds Rome – had recorded more than 38,000 new bookings for vaccinations in the hours following the announcement of the new rules.

More than 33 million copies of Italy’s so-called green pass have already been downloaded, emergency commissioner Figliuolo told reporters on Monday.