Russian government to legalise QR code passes for restaurants and transport

The Russian government has developed two bills to regulate the procedure for the implementation of QR-code passes in public places and transport. It goes about the measures to confirm the immunization of citizens when visiting cafes and restaurants, as well as when boarding trains or airplanes.

According to rBC, which refers to a source in the government that participated in the preparation of the document, such measures can be introduced in Russia due to the worsening epidemiological situation in the country. The QR-code passes are to be valid until June 2022.

Amendments are to be introduced into the law "On the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population" accordingly.

Thus, Russian people will be legally bound to provide QR codes to be able to access cultural events, catering establishments, retail outlets and other organizations. The codes will thus confirm that a person has been vaccinated, has had a coronavirus infection, or possesses a medical certificate of exemption and a negative PCR test. It will be up to regional authorities to decide for which facilities exactly QR codes will be required.

According to the source, until February 1, 2022, it will be possible to provide a negative PCR test instead of the QR code. However, from February 1, negative PCR tests will be valid only if provided together with a certificate of medical exemption.

The new restrictions will not apply to public transport, grocery stores and retail outlets selling essential goods.

The procedure for foreign nationals vaccinated with foreign vaccines to visit public places in Russia will be regulated separately.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the decision to completely abandon the use of QR codes and other restrictions that had been imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic in the country can be made only after the pandemic ends. Reaching collective immunity against the coronavirus infection would not serve a reason to abandon the use of QR codes, Peskov added.

• Russia still reports over 40,000 cases of infection and over 1,000 deaths daily.
• The total number of infections with COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic nears 7 million.
• For the time being, the virus has claimed the lived of 251,691 people in Russia.