'Strong Opposition to Quarantine Pass'... High School Senior's National Petition
Expert: "Quarantine Pass Demands Responsibility from the Unvaccinated"
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "If I get vaccinated and have side effects, will the government take responsibility?", "Please adjust the quarantine pass!"
From the 6th, the quarantine pass will be strengthened due to the resurgence of COVID-19 and the emergence of the Omicron variant. Among those who have not yet been vaccinated, there are bitter criticisms that this is practically mandatory vaccination. Posts criticizing the government's expansion of the quarantine pass are also appearing on the Blue House's public petition site. Experts repeatedly emphasized that these measures are ultimately a response to protect the unvaccinated.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 5th, follow-up measures for the special COVID-19 quarantine plan will be implemented for four weeks starting today. As the number of new domestic cases surged along with the phased recovery plan implemented earlier last month, the government prepared a special quarantine plan centered on postponing the first phase of recovery for four weeks at the end of last month.
The COVID-19 quarantine pass, which was limited to entertainment facilities, will be expanded to 16 industries including restaurants and cafes. Private gatherings are allowed up to 6 people in the metropolitan area and 8 people in non-metropolitan areas regardless of vaccination status. The number of unvaccinated people allowed in private gatherings will be reduced from 4 to 1, and unvaccinated individuals cannot participate in private gatherings of two or more.
The quarantine pass, previously limited to entertainment facilities, will be significantly expanded. Facilities where the quarantine pass was mandatory included entertainment venues (pubs, karaoke bars, clubs/nightclubs, hunting bars, emotional pubs, colatec/dance halls), singing (coin) practice rooms, indoor sports facilities, bathhouses, and five types of venues such as bicycle racing, motorboat racing, horse racing, and casinos. However, with the expansion, the quarantine pass will also apply to restaurants and cafes, academies, movie theaters and performance halls, reading rooms and study cafes, multi-rooms (excluding arcades), PC rooms, indoor sports stadiums (spectator), museums, art galleries, science centers, party rooms, libraries, massage and therapy centers, and more.
Additionally, from February next year, the quarantine pass is expected to apply to adolescents aged 12 to 18. Currently, the quarantine pass does not apply to those under 18. The government plans to implement these measures for four weeks from today until January 2 next year and will decide on extension based on the COVID-19 situation. A one-week grace period will be given until the 12th for the expanded quarantine pass application.
Petition opposing the expansion of vaccine pass application by quarantine authorities, Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board capture
◆ "Those responsible for the full introduction of the quarantine pass must be held accountable" - Unvaccinated people flood Blue House petitions with criticism
Among unvaccinated citizens, there are various opinions ranging from finding the government's measures absurd to feeling that vaccination is now mandatory. Kim, a man in his 40s, said, "I was a bit worried about vaccine side effects, but I got vaccinated for my family." He added, "However, since there are citizens complaining about side effects, some measures should be introduced to create an environment where people can get vaccinated with peace of mind."
Park, a man in his 20s, expressed frustration, saying, "Isn't this mandatory vaccination?" He said, "There are so many stories about people getting leukemia or other side effects after vaccination," and raised his voice, "People who get vaccinated should be allowed to choose whether to get vaccinated or not."
Choi, a man in his 30s, said, "It's been a while since COVID-19 appeared," and expressed the opinion, "I hope the quarantine measures show some changed policies now."
Meanwhile, petitions opposing the quarantine pass have been posted on the Blue House public petition site. Posts complaining about vaccine side effects are also continuously being posted.
On the 3rd, a citizen posted a petition titled "Oppose the unconditional introduction of the quarantine pass," stating, "(The introduction of the quarantine pass) is a serious human rights inequality," and pointed out, "There are certainly citizens who find additional vaccination or vaccination itself difficult or impossible due to individual circumstances such as health issues and family history." He criticized, "Yet, the government is unilaterally introducing the quarantine pass fully without sufficient explanation to those citizens."
The petitioner further stated, "There are many citizens who have died or have sequelae (side effects) due to vaccination, but the government is avoiding responsibility by simply blaming 'underlying diseases.' The government must be held accountable for the full introduction of the quarantine pass."
On the 5th, another petitioner, who identified themselves as a 2004-born high school sophomore living in Suseong-gu, Daegu, said, "I strongly oppose the quarantine pass again," and pointed out, "Due to anxiety about vaccine side effects, I have not even received the first dose yet, and I don't understand why there is such a frenzy to expand the vaccine pass."
Petitions complaining about side effects after vaccination continue to be posted. On the 3rd, one petitioner said, "My father developed acute myeloid leukemia after receiving the COVID vaccine," and added, "My father, who usually did not drink or smoke and was healthy, is undergoing chemotherapy for acute leukemia three months after vaccination."
Earlier, on the 2nd, another petitioner appealed, "My younger brother was diagnosed with leukemia after getting vaccinated at the tender age of 20." The petitioner said, "After receiving the first vaccine on September 1st, bruises appeared and disappeared repeatedly all over his body within 10 days, but since I heard bruising can happen after vaccination, I didn't worry and got the second vaccine on October 2nd. In November, while training in the military, bruising spread to his hands and arms, and he lost strength. After blood tests, he was diagnosed with acute leukemia. Is there still no causal relationship?" he expressed frustration.
Professor Lee Jae-gap, Department of Infectious Diseases, Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital. Photo by JTBC 'Newsroom'
◆ Expert: "Get vaccinated with confidence... Quarantine pass is a strategy to protect the unvaccinated"
In a post on his Facebook on the 4th, infectious disease expert Professor Lee Jae-gap of Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital emphasized, "The quarantine pass demands responsible behavior," and said, "The quarantine pass is a strategy to protect the unvaccinated." He added, "If it were mandatory vaccination, unvaccinated people would have to pay for their own tests or treatments, or only work from home, or pay fines, or like in Germany, be prohibited from going out except for essential purposes. Our country has not prepared or implemented such policies yet."
Professor Lee appeared on JTBC's 'Newsroom' on the afternoon of the 5th and emphasized, "There were not many serious adverse reactions when vaccinating high school seniors. Although there was concern about myocarditis risk, all 15 myocarditis cases were discharged without particular problems. There have been no deaths."
He pointed out, "Looking at the overall safety data, even for those under 18, the number of adverse reactions is actually smaller than in people in their 20s and 30s. Severe adverse reactions are reported to be the lowest among all age groups." He added, "Vaccination for children is generally being carried out safely. I think it would be good to get vaccinated with confidence."
Regarding two high school seniors who died after COVID-19 vaccination, he explained, "One died from leukemia, and it was confirmed that there was no causal relationship. The other case was reported on November 17th, but the epidemiological investigation and autopsy have not yet been completed. The results have not been reported."
He continued, "In the US, over 50% of those aged 10 to 17 have already been vaccinated. In Spain, almost over 80% have been vaccinated. Spain has reported some myocarditis cases, but overall, adverse reactions are highest in 16-17-year-olds and decrease in those under 15. It mainly occurred in boys. There were almost no deaths. Overall, foreign cases also report safety."
Regarding some parents' opposition to the quarantine pass in academies, he said, "Children spend a lot of time in academies or study cafes. Although they wear masks well, sometimes mask-wearing can be lax, and they may take off masks while talking with friends. Recently, cluster outbreaks have been continuously reported in multi-use facilities frequently used by children. Especially with low vaccination rates among children, cluster outbreaks occur, so strengthening quarantine measures in such places is necessary."
Regarding the increase in severe and critical patients despite rising vaccination rates, he explained, "In Korea, before the Delta variant, there were no reports of severe or critical patients. After Delta, nine severe or critical patients were hospitalized and went through a very painful time but have now recovered. The overall pathogenicity has increased since the Delta variant."
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