QCOSTARICA – Like in supermarkets, pharmacies, medical centers and others, passengers on buses are exempt from being requested to provide a QR code, as a tool to verify the complete vaccination scheme against covid-19, to board. The question by many is why?
The buses were exempted says the Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, because doing so would limit the possibilities of movement of people to attend to urgent matters.
Salas gave his explanation this Wednesday in response to inquiries made by viewers during the Buen Dia morning program on Teletica television channel 7.
Salas argued that because the bus is a means of public transport, restricting access only to people who have the two doses would leave others unable to move in case they have to go to medical appointments, schools, health centers, or a job.
“We have exempted (the buses) because that is (the bus) precisely what empowers or allows us to do things of urgency or of maximum priority. It is not the same as a leisure activity, a concert, going to the cinema or to a restaurant,” said the minister.
Likewise, the official insisted that the QR code is an “agile and secure” mechanism that is used only to verify the vaccination status of people.
Since last December 1, owners of stores, restaurants and other commercial premises can voluntarily request from their clients the QR code to verify the complete vaccination scheme against covid-19 and, thus, to be able to operate at 100% capacity, instead of just 50%.
The voluntary option was offered by the Government after a judge suspended a guideline that establishes the mandatory use of the certification system, while the Administrative Contentious Court resolves a claim filed by representatives of the tourism sector against the measure.
On Wednesday, the government announced that the mandatory use of the QR code at stores, malls, concerts, sports events, cinemas, and others would be postponed to February 7, 2022, instead of January 7, allowing the courts time to resolve the claim.