Russians with coronavirus antibodies from both foreign and domestic vaccines will be able to get a QR code valid for six months, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said Monday.
QR codes proving one’s vaccination or recent recovery from Covid-19 are soon expected to be required to enter restaurants, shops and other public places across the country — with some regions already asking for them. On Sunday, State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said lawmakers will scrap a proposed bill that would have also required QR codes to access public transport, including plains and trains.
“Our citizens vaccinated with foreign vaccines will be able to pass an appropriate test for antibodies and receive a document valid for a period of six months," Interfax quoted Golikova as saying at a meeting of the ruling United Russia party.
Russia has not yet recognized Western coronavirus jabs such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, and authorities have thwarted previous attempts to import Covid-19 vaccines into the country.
Many Russians, however, have flocked to the West to get a foreign jab, as European and American health agencies don’t recognize Russian-made vaccines including Sputnik V.
It was not immediately clear if foreigners living in Russia would also be able to get a QR code based on antibodies from a foreign vaccine.
Golikova also said that Russians who have been ill with Covid-19 after Jan. 1 2021, will also be able to apply for a six-month QR code.
While Russia has developed at least five Covid-19 vaccines, its national vaccination drive has stalled at roughly 40% of the adult population and the country continues to record over 1,000 Covid deaths per day.
