Reach Vaccination Target: South Korea Prepares To Live With COVID-19, Bars To Sauna Accessed With Proof Of Vaccination

JAKARTA - South Korea announced on Friday it would lift all restrictions on operating hours at restaurants and cafes, implementing its first vaccine passport for high-risk places such as gyms, saunas and bars, as it struggles to live with COVID-19.

The first phase will take effect on Monday next week and last for a month, officials said, with plans to call for all restrictions to be lifted by February.

"Starting November 1, our community will take the first steps to resume our normal lives," Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said at a televised government meeting. "However, we must realize that this does not mean the war against the coronavirus is over, but a new beginning," he continued.

The boost comes as South Korea grapples with a high daily number of cases, although it remains well below many of the worst-hit countries and serious infections and deaths are low.

Last week, South Korea achieved its full vaccination target of 70 percent of its 52 million population, paving the way for plans to return to normal. Now, Ginseng Country has fully vaccinated about 72 percent of its population and has given at least one dose of vaccine to more than 79.8 percent of the population.

Despite never experiencing a lockdown, South Korea has been battling a fourth wave of infections since July, when the government imposed strict gatherings and social distancing restrictions.

Outdoor sporting events are allowed to accommodate up to 50 percent of the audience, while concerts and music events can be attended by up to 100 people, regardless of vaccination status. In addition, people who are injected will be allowed to consume popcorn and soda in the cinema.

Visits to high-risk places such as bars and nightclubs, indoor gyms, saunas and karaoke bars will require proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test result within 48 hours.

To support the plan of living with COVID-19, South Korea has also launched a vaccination application that uses blockchain technology, to protect user privacy.

While private gatherings will be allowed with up to 10 people nationwide regardless of vaccination status, restaurants and cafes will limit to four unvaccinated people per group.

Authorities said they would focus on hospitalization and death rates rather than daily mitigation and expand self-care to those with only mild COVID-19 symptoms.

Separately, the Korean Medical Association (KMA) and experts have warned that the timing of switching to the new strategy, with the relatively high number of cases and as winter approaches, could trigger an increase in COVID-19 cases.

To note, South Korea reported 2,124 new COVID-19 cases for Thursday, bringing its cumulative tally to 360,536 infections with 2,817 deaths.