Tunisia introduces vaccine passes

An employee of the Tunisian public transports checks a passengers for his vaccination pass at the entrance of a railway station in the Tunisian capital Tunis, yesterday.

Compulsory vaccination passes aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19 came into force in Tunisia yesterday, despite some popular opposition and criticism from rights group Amnesty International.Only those presenting a vaccination pass and their national identity card are now able to access cafes, banks, shopping centres and state institutions.Dozens of people protested in central Tunis on Tuesday and yesterday against the measure, which was decided by President Kais Saied in October with the aim of speeding up the country’s vaccination campaign and limiting the spread of the virus.The presidential decree imposes penalties on anyone in the public and private sectors who refuses to obtain a vaccination pass.On Tuesday, Amnesty International urged the authorities to suspend application of the decree, saying it contained provisions which violate human rights.