Sharjah24 – Reuters: South Korea said on Friday it will drop all operating-hour curbs on restaurants and cafes and implement its first vaccine passport for high-risk venues such as gyms, saunas and bars, as it tries to "live with COVID-19".
The first phase will go into effect on Monday and last for a month, officials said, with plans calling for all restrictions to be scrapped by February.
"Beginning November 1, our community will take the first step of resuming our normal life," Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said at a televised government meeting. "However, we must be aware that this doesn't mean the fight against coronavirus is over, but a new beginning."
The push comes as South Korea grapples with high daily case numbers, though they remain far below many of the worst hit countries, and serious infections and deaths are low.
Last week, South Korea met its goal of vaccinating 70% of its 52 million people, paving the way for the planned return to normal. It has now fully vaccinated about 72% of the population, and has given at least one dose of a vaccine to more than 79.8%.
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