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| A worker at a study cafe in Seodaemun District, Seoul, attaches a notice reading that the vaccine pass mandate has been suspended following an administrative court ruling, Jan.4. Yonhap |
By Lee Hyo-jin
Ongoing legal complaints over the COVID-19 vaccine pass system are feared to be hampering the government's booster shot rollout, which may cause setbacks in its quarantine strategies amid the increasing spread of the Omicron variant.
The vaccine pass, which requires a proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test result to access facilities such as eateries and cafes, is being challenged by a fierce public backlash involving multiple lawsuits.
A Seoul Administrative Court hearing on the injunction seeking to nullify the vaccine pass was held on Friday. The suit was jointly filed by over 1,000 people including doctors, against the chiefs of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Earlier in the day, some 1,700 people, led by high school senior Yang Dae-rim, filed a constitutional petition against the vaccine mandate at multiuse facilities.
The government's plan to include children in the vaccine pass system from March has been hit by an administrative court ruling on Tuesday ordering the suspension of the system at cram schools and study cafes, saying that it infringes on the students' freedom and rights to education.
These ongoing legal disputes, which may bring changes to the government's entire vaccine pass scheme, are having an influence on people who are reluctant to receive a booster shot.
The health authorities have been encouraging people aged over 18 to roll up their sleeves for an additional shot by setting a six-month validity on the vaccine pass.
"As my vaccine pass expires in early March, I would have to receive a booster by then to extend its validity, but I feel hesitant since I suffered from serious side effects after my second shot," said a 29-year-old resident in Seoul surnamed Joo.
"So I'm kind of hoping that the court nullifies the vaccine pass system before February so that I don't have to receive a third shot to enter restaurants and cafes," she added.
According to KDCA data, while up to 800,000 people per day had been receiving booster shots in December, the figure has plummeted to about 300,000 per day people this month.
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| Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum speaks during a COVID-19 response meeting at Government Complex Seoul, Friday. Yonhap |
Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum urged the court to make swift decisions, saying that the current confusion surrounding the vaccine pass may pose threats to public health.
"We view that the current heated debates surrounding the vaccine pass are social discussions to find a balance between quarantine measures and human rights," he said during a COVID-19 response meeting, Friday.
The health ministry, for its part, said the recent slowdown in infections is attributable to the expanded vaccine pass, maintaining its earlier stance that the mandate will be expanded to department stores and large retailers from next Monday.
According to the KDCA, the country added 3,376 new infections for Saturday, down from 3,510 the previous day. The agency reported 821 critical cases, with 51 deaths.
Meanwhile, according to the health ministry, the first shipment of Pfizer's antiviral COVID-19 pills are set to arrive in the country next week, with the exact amount of individual doses to be announced later. Korea has so far secured sufficient oral coronavirus pills for around 1 million individuals, including 762,000 doses from Pfizer and 242,000 from Merck.
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