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| A person scans the QR code of a vaccine pass app on a mobile phone to enter a large retail store in Seoul, Dec. 31, 2021. Yonhap |
Omicron variant infections surpass 1,000 in just one month
By Lee Hyo-jin
Debate is heating up over the government's planned expansion of the coronavirus vaccine pass system to department stores and large retailers, which has prompted a strong backlash from unvaccinated individuals, who argue that their freedoms will be excessively limited if the system is implemented there.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, beginning Jan. 10, people entering department stores, large retail and discount stores measuring 3,000 square meters or more must show either a vaccination record or a negative PCR test result.
A one-week grace period will be applied until Jan. 16, after which violators will be fined.
Unlike cafes and eateries where unvaccinated people are allowed to sit if they are alone, an unvaccinated individual will not be able to enter department stores or large retail stores, even if he or she goes alone.
The expansion of the vaccine pass, which is currently applied to multiuse facilities including cafes, eateries, indoor gyms, movie theaters and public baths, comes as the country is facing an increasing spread of the Omicron variant.
But the government's decision to curtail individual freedoms further to protect public health has triggered heated debates.
"This is crossing the line. The government is virtually forcing the vaccine on the public by barring unvaccinated people from entering retailers where they go to purchase groceries and daily necessities," an internet user commented on the Naver website.
Another user who claimed to be partially vaccinated wrote, "Now I will have to rely on delivery services for my groceries. The authorities should stop treating the unvaccinated group as potential virus spreaders."
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| A medical worker administers a coronavirus test at a testing center near Seoul Station, Sunday. Yonhap |
Regarding such complaints, Sohn Young-rae, a spokesperson at the health ministry, said during a briefing, "It is difficult to say that department stores have lower risks of infection, considering that they are crowded indoor areas."
Chon Eun-mi, a professor of respiratory medicine at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital viewed that the decision lacks scientific basis.
"If we look at subways and buses that are highly crowded during rush hours, group infections have not occurred there yet because people wear face masks properly. The same situation applies to shopping malls and discount stores, where visitors spend one or two hours with their masks on. These new measures can be perceived among unvaccinated people as infringements on their freedom," she said.
Some people are also questioning why religious facilities, where major cluster infections have been reported, are excluded from the vaccine pass system.
Sohn of the health ministry explained that churches are exempt from the vaccine pass as they are subject to strict social distancing rules, such as a 70-percent cap on the number of participants at in-person worship services.
Meanwhile, the government is moving to a higher level of alert regarding the Omicron variant, as the total number of infections has surpassed 1,000 in just one month.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency added 93 new Omicron cases for Saturday, raising the total to 1,207.
The country reported 3,833 new coronavirus infections, bringing up the total caseload to 639,083. The number of critically ill patients stood at 1,024, with 69 deaths.
Health authorities predicted that given the rapid spread of the highly transmissible variant, the country may see up to 14,000 daily new infections in late January, even if the current distancing measures remain in place.
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