The South Korean government yesterday announced that people visiting restaurants, movie theaters and other public spaces would have to show their COVID-19 vaccine passports.
The move comes amid a surge in COVID-19 infections and five confirmed cases of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.
The government also reimposed limits on private gatherings, which were relaxed last month.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The country posted record numbers of new cases this week. Desperate to fend off the Omicron variant, authorities on Thursday halted quarantine exemptions for fully vaccinated inbound travelers and made a 10-day quarantine mandatory.
From Monday, people visiting 14 designated public spaces, including hospitality and entertainment venues, would have to show their vaccines passes, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum told a COVID-19 response meeting, adding that the plan aims to reduce the risk of community spread.
The public would have a grace period of one week to get used to the new rules, he said.
While people have been required to show their vaccine passports at high-risk venues such as gyms, saunas and bars, it is the first time that the requirement has been extended to restaurants and cafes.
From February, anyone aged 12 years or older would have to show their vaccine passport.
The government decided to lower the exemption age, currently set at 17 years, to encourage teenagers to get vaccinated as the under-18 age group accounts for 20 percent of all infections, South Korean Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol told a briefing.
The limit on private gatherings was cut to six people in the greater Seoul area, and eight outside, from the current limit of 10 in Seoul and 12 outside, Kwon said.
South Korea has so far confirmed a total of five Omicron cases, after a fully vaccinated couple tested positive for the variant after last week arriving from Nigeria.
The cases are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms such as headache, a low fever, dizziness and a sore throat, health authorities said.
South Korea on Thursday reported 4,944 COVID-19 cases, a slight decline from the record 5,266 cases on Wednesday. It has reported a total of 462,555 cases, and 3,739 deaths from the virus.
South Korea has fully vaccinated 91.6 percent of its adult population, yet booster dose uptake remains at 8.1 percent.
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