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Coronavirus pandemic

Russia hopes to reach herd immunity to COVID by June 2022 — deputy PM

QR codes are expected to stay in force in Russia until June, 2022, Tatiana Golikova said

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova Dmitry Astakhov/POOL/TASS

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova

© Dmitry Astakhov/POOL/TASS

MOSCOW, November 12. /TASS/. QR codes are expected to stay in force in Russia until June 1, 2022, before which date it is planned to reach herd immunity to the novel coronavirus infection, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said on Friday.

"The bill has a fixed time period, until June 1, 2022. Why June 1, 2022? Because we hope that we will be able to reach the herd immunity of 80% of the adult population by this date," she said.

Earlier in the day, the government submitted to the State Duma, or low parliament house, bills on the use of QR codes on transport and in public places. The measure is supposed to be in force until June 1, 2022 and will not apply to pharmacies, food stores and trading outlets selling articles of daily necessity. The final decision on the use of QR codes and the list of places where they will be needed will be up to regional authorities.

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