Iran intends to restrict unvaccinated people’s access to public services in coming weeks and at the same time relax most lockdown measures throughout the country.
“Smart quarantine will take the place of normal lockdowns, it means vaccinated people can enjoy the benefits of getting inoculated,” Health Minister Bahram Einollahi was quoted as saying by IRNA on Tuesday.
Citizens will be obligated to present a QR code that shows they have been vaccinated before they can board planes or check into hotel rooms, according to the new scheme.
Einollahi explained, “Anyone who gets vaccinated can receive a QR code via the Health Ministry’s application and can present it to do many things.”
A growing number of nations are barring unvaccinated people from accessing public services to encourage the public to get the shot.
Details of the Health Ministry’s initiative are yet to be released.
More than 36.9 million Iranians have had a first vaccination dose and some 15.8 million people have been fully vaccinated. The Health Ministry has so far administered a total of 52.7 million shots.
Results of a poll published by the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA) showed that roughly 14% of those over the age of 18 are not interested in getting vaccinated.
Einollahi noted that the new measures can prevent a sixth wave of the outbreak.
Lockdown restrictions are set to ease in two to three weeks when almost 70% of Iranians have been immunized against the infectious disease.