Italian man tries to avoid COVID-19 vaccine using fake arm, gets reported for fraud

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, several protests around the necessity of getting vaccinated against the deadly virus are still taking place around the world. However, a bizarre incident that occurred in Italy recently has left people shocked.

An Italian man went for his coronavirus vaccination with a silicone prosthetic arm since he wanted a vaccination certificate but did not want to actually get jabbed. The incident took place in the town of Biella, Italy just a week after Italy announced new COVID-19 norms.

The man, who was in his 50s, arrived for a vaccination with a fake arm in order to fool health officials. As the nurse was rolling up his sleeve, she felt something cold and rubbery. Initially, she thought that a patient with an artificial arm had come in for getting jabbed. But she did not see any veins in the fake arm, which made her suspicious. The nurse was quick to realize that that the arm was a silicone prosthetic and confronted the man.

The man tried to convince her to turn a blind eye to his deed but the nurse reported the incident to the police.

The leader of the Piedmont regional government, Albert Cirio said in a statement that the man’s actions were unacceptable, adding that the man's attempts to go to such extreme lengths to avoid getting vaccinated was "a gesture of enormous gravity."

According to La Repubblica, the man was a health worker who was suspended for not being vaccinated. The newspaper also suggested that the man had earlier posted about his plan on social media.

Recently, the Italian Government has made it mandatory for all health care workers, teachers, law enforcement military and school employees to be vaccinated.

in order to contain the spread of COVID 19, the Italian government has also levied new restrictions. Only people with proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test are allowed to indulge in certain leisure activities such as going to the theatre or restaurant.

The tightening of these restrictions due to the recent surge in virus cases has also led to protests in several cities.