S. Korea lifts vaccine pass at large retailers

Jan 18, 2022, 09:30 am

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Son Young-rae, a health ministry spokesperson, speaks in a news briefing at the government complex in Sejong on Jan. 17, 2022./ Source: Yonhap

AsiaToday reporter Park Ah-ram

The government has decided to lift the enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine passes at large retailers and cram schools starting Tuesday.

The move comes as infections are showing signs of slowdown and the country’s medical capacity has increased. The authorities said it was necessary to ease the vaccine pass requirement at low-risk facilities. However, the government has come under fire for its incoherent quarantine policy as it overturned the vaccine pass enforcement within a week of the implementation.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Monday that it will lift Tuesday the vaccine pass on six types of multiuse facilities – large retailers and department stores, study rooms, museums, libraries, cram schools and theaters.

As a result, the vaccine pass enforced to large retailers including department stores across the country has been restored within a week. Earlier, the authorities decided to enforce the vaccine pass to 17 types of facilities, including large retailers, starting on Monday.

Since the vaccine pass requires people to get the second dose, it has been met with a fierce backlash among those who were not vaccinated for health reasons. Besides, many pointed out that the authorities did not take into account those who were not vaccinated, such as those with underlying diseases or pregnant women who are concerned about side effects of the vaccine, and the facilities essential for economic activities were included in the list.

With growing criticism of trust in the vaccine pass system, Son said the withdrawal was made based on the change in the COVID-19 situation rather than the measures taken due to the court’s decision. “We will lift the vaccine pass program at facilities where people can wear masks at all times, and they do activities without spraying much saliva,” he said.

The vaccine pass will remain effective at 11 types of high-risk facilities, including cafes, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, indoor gyms and sports arenas, karaoke establishments, PC rooms and public bathhouses.

However, eating will be restricted in libraries, museums, art galleries and more. The vaccine pass will be applied to restaurants and cafes in department stores and marts.

The government plans to push for its implementation for youth aged 12-18 starting in March as planned, given that this age group has accounted for more than 25 percent of the country’s total infections.

The government believes that the latest decision would reduce infections among teens who use facilities under the vaccine pass scheme. Last Friday, a Seoul court suspended the enforcement of the vaccine pass program at department as well as planned vaccine pass requirements for those aged 12-18 at all facilities.

“We expect the court’s judgment on the youth vaccine pass will be different with the exclusion of cram schools related to the right to learning, which was pointed out as the biggest problem in the court’s judgment,” Son said.

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