Source: Federation Council may mull COVID-free QR codes Fri

MOSCOW, Nov 15 (PRIME) -- Russia’s parliament upper house Federation Council is ready to consider a bill introducing QR codes, proving the absence of COVID-19, at the nearest meeting on Friday if the lower house State Duma has adopted it in third and final reading by that time, a council source told PRIME late on November 12.

“Yes, we’re ready to consider the bill in the primary order as soon as the (State) Duma has adopted it,” the source said.

A source at the lower house said the State Duma’s healthcare committee could consider the bill on Wednesday–Thursday. “The government is pushing the adoption of this bill,” he said.

The government submitted on November 12 to the State Duma the bills on the use of QR codes in public places and transport. One of the documents introduces them on railway and air transport for inter-city and international carriage.

From February 1, 2022, people will have to show a QR code of vaccination, medical exemption, or recovery from the coronavirus disease to visit the mentioned facilities. Before the date, a negative test is enough.

If the citizen fails to comply with the QR codes requirements, the carrier can dissolve the contract and return the money paid during 30 days, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said.

The QR codes will not be needed to visit pharmacies, groceries, and stores dealing in staples.

Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev said the QR codes will be needed to buy tickets and board a train or an airplane. He added that the authority started working with the country’s airlines and national railroad carrier Russian Railways on the organization of checks of medical documents regarding COVID-19 of passengers.

Russian Railways’ Deputy General Director Dmitry Pegov said the company is prepared to organize QR codes checks because all the trains are already equipped with the necessary resource, and with connection to the information resources, it will not be difficult to make checks, he said.

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