[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] Among those vaccinated against COVID-19 overseas, individuals holding quarantine exemption certificates will be excluded from private gathering limits starting from the 7th, just like domestic vaccine recipients. Additionally, U.S. Forces Korea, foreign diplomatic corps stationed in Korea, and their families who have completed vaccination domestically will also be able to enjoy the same benefits as domestic vaccine recipients.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s Central Disease Control Headquarters reported these improvements to the issuance of overseas vaccination completion certificates at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the 5th.
Those who completed vaccination overseas and received a quarantine exemption certificate were not required to self-quarantine upon entry, but their vaccination records were not recognized in daily life. In effect, they were classified as 'unvaccinated.'
Because of this, despite having completed vaccination, they were unable to receive various quarantine relaxation incentives such as exemption from private gathering limits applied to domestic vaccine recipients. Since they had already completed vaccination, additional vaccination domestically was not possible.
In response to requests to resolve these inconveniences, the government decided to gradually recognize their vaccination records and issue vaccination certificates.
The Central Disease Control Headquarters will first issue vaccination certificates to domestic and foreign nationals who hold quarantine exemption certificates and have entered the country after overseas vaccination. Certificates will also be issued to U.S. Forces Korea, foreign diplomatic corps, and their accompanying families who have completed vaccination either domestically or overseas.
When these individuals visit public health centers and present their vaccination records and quarantine exemption certificates, the health centers will register their vaccination history in the domestic vaccination system and issue certificates. The health centers will provide paper vaccination certificates.
Those with a mobile phone registered in their name can receive electronic certificates through the electronic vaccination certificate app (COOV). The electronic certificate issued to overseas vaccine recipients differs in format from the domestic vaccination certificate. U.S. Forces Korea personnel will receive a separate paper certificate.
Starting from the 7th, vaccination history can be verified through COOV, allowing overseas vaccine recipients to receive the same incentives as domestic vaccine recipients who have completed vaccination.
Since the 18th of last month, the Central Disease Control Headquarters has included overseas vaccine recipients in the count of vaccinated individuals by age group. Vaccines recognized for overseas vaccination include those approved by the World Health Organization (WHO): Pfizer, Janssen, Moderna, AstraZeneca (including Covishield), Sinopharm, and Sinovac.
On the same day’s online regular briefing, Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, explained that the inclusion of Chinese vaccines such as Sinopharm and Sinovac, which are not administered domestically, in the recognized vaccination records was based on the WHO’s official approved vaccines, consistent with the quarantine exemption system reviewed at entry.
He added, "We will continue to review the system centered on WHO-certified vaccines. We plan to establish a system to promptly recognize vaccination records for Korean nationals who were vaccinated abroad and entered without self-quarantine under the same standards."
The Central Disease Control Headquarters also plans to prepare detailed plans for issuing certificates to foreign overseas vaccine recipients who entered without quarantine exemption certificates, in connection with the 'With COVID-19' phased recovery plan known as 'stepwise daily recovery.'
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