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Duma Council scraps controversial bill on QR codes for air, train passengers — speaker

Decision came as a result of the State Duma’s dialogue with the government based on the opinions of regions and people’s messages

MOSCOW, December 13. /TASS/. The Council of Russia’s State Duma has scrapped a controversial bill that envisaged the introduction of QR codes for passengers of long-distance trains and airliners confirming they have been vaccinated against or tested for antibodies to the novel coronavirus, State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said on his Telegram channel on Monday.

"At today’s meeting of the State Duma Council the committee on transport and transport infrastructure development suggested scrapping the bill on proposed amendments to the air code and railways rules. This proposal was supported unanimously," Volodin said.

Earlier in the day, the State Duma speaker said that the bill on QR codes for passengers of long-distance trains and passenger liners would be dropped, adding that this decision came as a "result of the State Duma’s dialogue with the government based on the opinions of regions and people’s messages."

"President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed that rash decisions restricting the rights of people and creating extra problems will be impermissible," Volodin said.

The Russian government on November 12 submitted to the State Duma draft amendments for using anti-COVID vaccination QR codes on transport and at public places. Under the scrapped proposals air and railway passengers would have had to present QR codes to confirm vaccination or medical counterindications against vaccination or a certificate of recovery from the coronavirus infection.

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