Seoul City Eases Welfare Facility Restrictions for 'Vaccinated Seniors'... "Feel Free to Use Welfare Centers and Senior Citizens' Centers"

Easing Restrictions on Elderly Welfare Facility Operations, Expanding In-Person and Active Programs to Support Daily Life Recovery
Resumption of In-Person Programs like Yoga at Senior Welfare Centers... Participation in Singing Classes and Food Consumption Allowed After Second Vaccination

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Elderly individuals who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will have greater freedom to use elderly welfare facilities such as senior centers and community centers.

On the 4th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that face-to-face and activity programs, which had been suspended due to COVID-19, will resume exclusively for vaccinated elderly individuals. Seniors who have completed their first dose can participate in face-to-face programs such as yoga, baduk (Go), and janggi (Korean chess).

Elderly individuals who have completed their second dose can also participate in more active programs like singing classes, wind instrument lessons, and physical training. They will also be allowed to consume food, and community centers, which are currently operating at about 40%, will gradually reopen by district. Except for unavoidable situations such as food consumption, masks must be worn when using elderly welfare facilities.

This measure by the Seoul Metropolitan Government aims to ease restrictions on elderly welfare facility operations and expand face-to-face and activity programs so that elderly people, who have been experiencing feelings of isolation and depression due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, can recover their daily lives through social activities and health management.

This policy follows the easing of elderly welfare facility operation restrictions announced by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and will be implemented considering the circumstances of each district. According to last year's Seoul Survey social research, one in two Seoul citizens experienced depression due to COVID-19, with the rate being relatively high at 55.7% among those aged 60 and older.

The target group includes ‘first dose recipients’ who are 14 days past their first vaccination and ‘second dose recipients (fully vaccinated)’ who are 14 days past their second vaccination. Currently, about 43% of elderly individuals aged 65 and older in Seoul have received at least one dose.

Seoul has prioritized reopening face-to-face and activity programs at 79 senior centers starting from the 1st of this month, exclusively for vaccinated elderly individuals. Until now, due to concerns about COVID-19 infection, programs were replaced with online versions or operated on a small scale focusing on less active programs such as calligraphy, literary education, and smartphone training.

Among a total of 3,468 community centers, 1,418 centers (40.9%) in 13 districts are currently operating and will gradually reopen sequentially according to each district’s situation. Like senior centers, face-to-face and activity programs at community centers will be available only to first and second dose recipients, and those fully vaccinated will be allowed to consume food inside the centers.

If verification of vaccination history is required for using elderly welfare facilities, vaccinated individuals can visit the vaccination institution to receive a paper certificate. They can also obtain an electronic vaccination certificate via a mobile app and conveniently verify it with a QR code like an electronic entry log.

Meanwhile, Seoul plans to increase vaccination rates among elderly participants in senior job programs by offering incentives such as cultural activity programs. This will be implemented once related guidelines from the Ministry of Health and Welfare are finalized. Additionally, vaccinated individuals will be given priority in the additional selection of participants for senior job programs this year and next year.

Kim Seon-soon, Director of Welfare Policy at Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "Seoul will help vaccinated elderly individuals return to facilities and recover a healthy daily life," adding, "We will actively encourage the reopening of facilities currently closed to prevent unnecessary anxiety from disrupting welfare services in social welfare settings and expand various programs to support the daily recovery of elderly people."

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