S. Korea to lift pandemic restrictions as country seeks return to normal

South Korea announced on Friday that it will lift all operating hour restrictions on restaurants and cafes and roll out its first vaccine passport for high-risk venues, such as gyms, saunas, and bars, as the country tried to “live with COVID-19.”

The first phase will take effect on Monday and will last for a month, with plans calling for the removal of all restrictions by February, according to officials.

In a televised government meeting, South Korean Prime Minister Kim Byoo-kum announced that the government’s plan would start on November 1, calling it their “first step of resuming normal life.”

The push comes as the peninsula struggled with high numbers of daily cases but still remained far below many of the worst-hit countries. Despite the high number of cases, serious infections and death rates remain low.

South Korea accomplished its goal of vaccinating 70% of its 52 million population last week, setting the path for the planned return to normal. 72% of the country’s population are now fully vaccinated, while more than 79.8% had been given at least a single vaccine dose.