Sir Elton John faces fine after being photographed on Capri not wearing a face mask

Sir Elton John faces a possible fine of up to €1,000 after reportedly failing to wear a face mask while on holiday with his family on the island of Capri in southern Italy.

The British celebrity was photographed without a mask during a stay at the historic, five-star Grand Hotel Quisisana on the island.

Capri is in the region of Campania, where it was recently decreed that face masks must be worn in outdoor public areas as well as inside shops, bars and restaurants.

An official complaint has been made by Codacons, Italy’s national consumer affairs association.

The association sent its complaint to the chief of police of nearby Naples, the town council of Capri and to the regional government of Campania. It said the singer “had broken the rules”.

“The rules are the same for everybody,” said Carlo Rienzi, the president of the association. “The people of Campania are obliged to wear masks outside and the same goes for VIPs and famous people.”

According to the law, the songwriter should be fined from €400 to a maximum €1,000, he said.

But an Italian friend of Sir Elton came to his defence, denying he had broken any regulations.

Roberto Russo, a businessman, said the musician had traveled to the hotel in an electric buggy that had brought him from a yacht in Capri’s main port, all the time wearing a face mask.

He had then arrived at the hotel and joined his family for drinks on the terrace.

“As the law permits, he drank an aperitif without wearing a mask. He did not step foot in the streets of Capri,” Mr Russo told Ansa, Italy’s national news agency.

“We were the only people at the bar and the return to the yacht took place in the same way, with masks worn.” Codacons should get its facts right, he said.

Italy’s prime minister said he intends to extend the current state of emergency, which expires on October 15, until the end of January in order to combat the coronavirus crisis.

Italy is reporting around 1,500 new cases a day and the death toll stands at 35,800.

The emergency is likely to last another eight months, the health minister said on Thursday.

"We need to resist with the knife between our teeth for the difficult seven to eight months ahead," said Roberto Speranza.

"In the months ahead in which we do not have a Covid vaccine or cures, we will need correct behaviour by people because that is what enabled us to bring down the curve in previous months.”