Italian authorities have announced that hackers have targeted an official website for booking Covid-19 vaccinations.
The website of Lazio, Rome's region, was offline for many hours on Sunday, according to the municipality, which acknowledged the outage on social media.
The incident comes in the wake of a new mandate requiring residents to show proof of vaccination in order to enter cultural centers and restaurants, a move that sparked a wave of demonstrations around the country.
The site was hit by "ransomware" hackers, according to sources involved in the case.
Citizens were unable to book appointments for a coronavirus vaccine or other services as a result of the "powerful" cyberattack.
Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the case, but authorities in Lazio have said that the vaccine program would "continue as normal."
"We will not stop in the face of this attack," the region said in a statement, adding there will be no interruptions, although there will be delays.
Despite the incident, Lazio's President, Nicola Zingaretti, announced that 70% of the adult population in the region had been vaccinated on Sunday.
To combat the rising number of computer intrusions, the Italian government decided in mid-June to establish a government body dedicated to cybersecurity.
The regional health commissioner Alessio D'Amato said the highly contagious Delta variant accounts for over 80% of new Covid-19 infections in Lazio.
Italy recently followed France in announcing that proof of Covid-19 vaccination or immunity would be required for a variety of activities.
The move sparked a wave of protests around the country against the implementation of the so-called Green Pass, which verifies that persons have been vaccinated, tested negative for the virus, or recovered from it.
Last weekend, over 80,000 people protested in cities across Italy, while thousands marched in Paris, with reports of some protestors fighting with the police.
With or without incentives, European nations have made improvements in vaccination rates in recent months.
Denmark was a pioneer in vaccine passes with low resistance. To attend outdoor events with more than 1,500 people in Belgium by mid-August, and interior events by September, a vaccination certificate will be required.
Germany and the U.K. have so far rejected a blanket approach, while vaccinations are so widely used in Spain that incentives aren't felt necessary.
