Covid-19: Anyone falsifying proof of vaccination in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro will be fined US$180

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Rio de Janeiro City Hall on Wednesday, September 15, authorized a fine of R$1,000 (US$180) for people trying to defraud a vaccination certificate.With 46 votes in favor and 1 abstention, the bill was passed on Monday, September 13, by the City Council.

The measure foresees the penalty applied both for people who try to reproduce and present a false document and for people who try to evade health clinics with the certificate without having been administered the Covid-19 vaccine.

Public agents who either facilitate or conceal fraud will be charged an even higher penalty of R$1,500.

People who fail to pay the fine will have their name entered in the municipality’s active debt list. The cases will also be forwarded to the police authorities, since forgery crimes can be punished with imprisonment from 1 to 2.5 years.

According to the Municipal Health Secretariat, at least 8 cases of people who tried to get the certificate at the vaccination center without being immunized have been registered.

Since Wednesday, September 15, Rio de Janeiro residents have been required to present proof of vaccination to enter public places in Rio, such as movie theaters, gyms, tourist attractions, among others.

Rio residents can demonstrate that they are up-to-date with their vaccination by presenting the physical booklet, a certificate provided on the day the vaccine is administered, or through the ConecteSUS app.

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