‘No-show’ Citizens Lose Reservation Rights for ‘Remaining Vaccines’

US Bloomberg Ranks South Korea 5th Among 53 Countries in Monthly 'COVID-19 Resilience Index' as of This Month

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Those who make a reservation but do a ‘no-show’ without canceling by phone will have their right to reserve ‘leftover vaccines’ revoked.

The quarantine authorities emphasized the safety of vaccines, stating, “The rate of adverse reaction reports after vaccination is less than 1%, and the infection prevention effect is significant for the elderly.”

The government announced that people who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be freed from wearing masks outdoors by July.

It will no longer be necessary to wear masks in parks or hiking trails, and there will be no limit on the number of people when using outdoor multi-use facilities or participating in religious activities.

Prior to this, from June 1, those who have received the first dose will be excluded from the restriction on the number of people at immediate family gatherings. Furthermore, those who have completed the second dose will be exempt from the ban on private gatherings, allowing them to freely participate in small or family gatherings.

When announcing the phased daily recovery support plan for vaccinated individuals recently, the government stated, “When over 70% of the population completes the first dose by the end of September, the quarantine standards will be fully readjusted, and the relaxation of indoor mask-wearing will also be considered at the point when herd immunity is achieved.”

As of midnight on the 28th, 4.68 million people in Korea have completed the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 2.06 million have completed the second dose. In Gangnam-gu, currently 40,000 people have completed the first dose, and 15,000 have completed the second dose. Vaccinations for 27,000 residents aged 65 to 74, who pre-booked hospitals and times, began in earnest on the 27th.

On June 7, vaccinations will begin for those aged 60 to 64 and teachers of kindergartens, daycare centers, and first and second grades of elementary school. Currently, the vaccination reservation rate in Gangnam-gu is about 50%, and applications must be made by next Thursday to be vaccinated within the second quarter.

The quarantine authorities emphasize, “The earlier you make a reservation, the wider the choice of vaccination dates and hospitals, and those who avoid reservations will only be able to get vaccinated around October.”

Vaccination reservations can be made through the Gangnam-gu call center or at 171 designated medical institutions in the area.

Also, to reduce so-called ‘no-show vaccines’ that are discarded when people do not show up at the vaccination site after pre-booking, anyone aged 30 or older can receive vaccination on the same day as the online reservation.

By searching for ‘leftover vaccines’ on Naver or selecting the related page on Kakao, the remaining vaccine quantities at pre-selected medical institutions can be checked.

Those who make a reservation but do a ‘no-show’ without canceling by phone will have their right to reserve ‘leftover vaccines’ revoked. The quarantine authorities emphasize the safety of vaccines, stating, “The rate of adverse reaction reports after vaccination is less than 1%, and the infection prevention effect is significant for the elderly.” Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum also stressed on Facebook the day before that vaccination is even more important because the fatality rate is higher for those with underlying diseases and the elderly.

Since the vaccination target has been greatly expanded and the government has secured sufficient vaccine supplies, the number of vaccinated people is expected to increase rapidly. Cooperation from the public is essential for herd immunity. We ask all Gangnam-gu residents to trust the government and participate in vaccination in the designated order for the health of themselves, their families, and their loved ones.

Below is the briefing on the COVID-19 status in Gangnam-gu.

◇Confirmed Cases Status

This is the status of confirmed cases in Gangnam-gu. As of today, the 2,473rd confirmed case has been reported. Cases 2,465, 2,466, and 2,472 are family members of previously confirmed Gangnam-gu residents, and case 2,471 tested positive after contact with a confirmed case from another region. Cases 2,463, 2,464, 2,467 to 2,470, and 2,473 were confirmed after showing symptoms such as fever, but the infection route is unknown and epidemiological investigations are underway.

◇Self-Quarantine Status

As of the 28th, Gangnam-gu is managing 2,025 people in self-quarantine, of whom 1,138 are overseas arrivals and 887 are domestic contacts.

◇Number of Specimen Tests

The cumulative number of specimen tests at Gangnam-gu Public Health Center’s screening clinics and temporary screening clinics is 458,944. Among 3,195 tests conducted the previous day, 57 were overseas arrivals and 3,138 were domestic residents.

Gangnam-gu has designated this week from Monday to the 13th of next month as the ‘Gangnam-style Special Quarantine Week.’ While strengthening on-site inspections mainly at multi-use facilities, it plans to introduce COVID-19 diagnostic self-test kits to minimize group infections at large construction sites and large academies, conducting full inspections of the target groups. All Gangnam-gu staff pledge to do their best to protect the health and safety of residents without letting their guard down.

For reference, special late-night inspections will be conducted on entertainment facilities such as karaoke rooms until the end of June. A total of 235 facilities in the area, including 27 coin karaoke rooms, are subject to inspection. From 8 p.m. daily until 2 a.m. the next day, inspections will be conducted at least twice a week to carefully check whether electronic entry logs are properly maintained and whether business hours are being observed.

To provide detailed explanations about various policies and projects being carried out by Gangnam-gu, I personally upload policy briefings every Tuesday on the website. Six broadcasts have been made so far, and many residents have shown support.

From highly interested topics such as reconstruction issues to explanations about major transportation networks like the Wirye-Gwacheon Line, I will provide detailed information on projects that residents have been curious about or that are necessary for daily life. If you have topics you want introduced in the policy briefing or questions, please send them to the email address below.

According to the ‘COVID-19 Resilience Ranking’ compiled monthly by Bloomberg in the U.S., Korea ranked fifth among 53 countries as of this month. This is one rank higher than sixth place last month and three ranks higher compared to February. Despite a low vaccination rate (5.4%), the number of deaths per one million population (38) is the tenth lowest, which is interpreted as a good score in quarantine performance.

Lastly, the cumulative number of specimen tests at Gangnam-gu Public Health Center’s screening clinics and temporary screening clinics has exceeded 450,000. The nationwide cumulative number of tests is 15.47 million (as of 0:00 on May 28), of which about 3% were conducted in Gangnam.

Gangnam’s three testing sites account for eight times the average of the 757 testing sites nationwide. This number greatly exceeds 380,000, which is 70% of the total Gangnam-gu residents eligible for vaccination (538,536 people as of January 2021).

Nearly 3,000 to 4,000 people are tested daily.

This is because Gangnam-gu, from the early stages of the outbreak, proactively allowed anyone, regardless of symptoms, including residents of other regions as well as Gangnam residents, to receive free specimen tests based on the infectious disease response principle of ‘early detection, early containment.’ Going forward, all Gangnam-gu staff pledge to fulfill their role as Korea’s leading and elder city, living together with neighbors and sharing what they have according to the ‘Mimiwi spirit.’

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.