RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

From what I can tell, NZ has 88% of it's pop vaccinated with 1 dose, and 76% with the full 2 dose course. They haven't opened up yet.
  They've achieved the 70% herd immunity threshold some time ago (although they haven't quite hit the 90% threshold they're aiming for before lifting all restrictions).

[Source]

Just to clarify, those percentages are for the eligible population and not the entire population

There should be a travel updates sticky thread considering what's gone on the last year and a half and how important vacations abroad are for a lot of us.  I keep longingly searching flights on Kayak for February and really want to click "buy'. I want to be able take advantage of my Korean Air Morning Calm status before I lose it. 

Most if not all tickets these days are flexible and refundable. You can buy a ticket and wait to see what happens untill you actually depart. Just make sure the ticket is indeed refundable.

Are we allowed to travel outside of Korea this winter? :o
I haven't heard a travel update in a while.

Not everyone, but if you're fully vaxxed and are going to/from an approved country, then you can. You just have to apply for a re-entry permit with immigration before leaving, and of course you need to get PCR tests done 3 days prior to leaving and 3 days prior to coming back (subject to change based on who you might be traveling with, though). You should also keep hard copies of your vaccinations in English and Korean on hand.

It's still a major pain in the ass, and not everyone will get approved for re-entry, but if you plan ahead and schedule those appointments and meet all of the other requirements, then yeah, you can leave.

With that being said, people do still have to make sure that the receiving country will also accept people coming from Korea. I've read stories of people paying a ton of money to travel to certain places (I think mostly in Europe, but I can't remember for sure) only to get denied entry because they were coming from Korea. Doesn't matter that they're not citizens of Korea or that they're citizens of countries that ARE approved. The fact that they were coming from Korea still barred them. So they had to turn around, lol.

Not everyone, but if you're fully vaxxed and are going to/from an approved country, then you can. You just have to apply for a re-entry permit with immigration before leaving, and of course you need to get PCR tests done 3 days prior to leaving and 3 days prior to coming back. You should also keep hard copies of your vaccinations in English and Korean on hand.

It's still a major pain in the ass, and not everyone will get approved for re-entry, but if you plan ahead and schedule those appointments and meet all of the other requirements, then yeah, you can leave.

With that being said, people do still have to make sure that the receiving country will also accept people coming from Korea. I've read stories of people paying a ton of money to travel to certain places (I think mostly in Europe, but I can't remember for sure) only to get denied entry because they were coming from Korea. Doesn't matter that they're not citizens of Korea or that they're citizens of countries that ARE approved. The fact that they were coming from Korea still barred them. So they had to turn around, lol.

PCR testing before leaving Korea is not mandatory for entering every country.

PCR testing before leaving Korea is not mandatory for entering every country.

I can believe this, every country has its own requirements. It's required of me, though.

I wouldn't plan on it.  I think Turdo in Canada said you wouldn't be allowed to fly out or it would be difficult.  So, if you went home may be difficult to leave, 

But the airports have been open for cross border travel with the states and other countries for ages.  Did they ever even close for people flying out? 

I suppose, in theory, they could refuse to give you a re-entry permit.

This is how much I haven't been paying attention to details.  They've reinstated re-entry permits?  I need to go to my local immigration office and get a re-entry stamp like in the old days, or is this something that is done at the airport? 

Except folks with the vaccine still get covid.

That's been common knowledge for several months now.
What's also common knowledge is that it significantly reduces symptoms, transmission, and the chances of getting covid in the first place.

The nice thing about having a sample study size of several billion is that the stats pile up pretty quick. 

Just to clarify, those percentages are for the eligible population and not the entire population

Oh, right. And that's everybody over the age of 12, I assume.
I believe that the 90% refers only to the eligible population as well.

This is how much I haven't been paying attention to details.  They've reinstated re-entry permits?  I need to go to my local immigration office and get a re-entry stamp like in the old days, or is this something that is done at the airport?

You can apply online or at the immigration office, but it has to be done in advance. You can supposedly pick up your re-entry permit at the airport on the day of your flight provided that you applied for and were approved for it beforehand, though. I won't be testing that, personally.

That's been common knowledge for several months now.
What's also common knowledge is that it significantly reduces symptoms, transmission, and the chances of getting covid in the first place.

Right, was gonna say.

Covid's here to stay, it's not going anywhere. People have been saying this for a long, long time.

That's why many places are working on "living with covid" strategies, which are incredibly dependent on people getting vaxxed in order to reduce covid's impact on them, the people around them, and on society in general. You could still catch covid after getting vaxxed, but that chance is greatly reduced, and the chances of you being hospitalized or dying from complications as a result of covid also drop dramatically with vaccination. So even if you still get covid, it will have far less impact on you.

A coworker, and the wife of a friend did. The shot really knocked them out for around 2-3 days.

... and are those fumes possibly originating from the most destructive forces in human history?   

Is this a fart joke?

Is this a fart joke?

It is if that's funnier than a reference to a recently locked thread would be!

I like this open-ended interpretation, let's keep it. (I've been keeping my head low enough these days for pretty much everything to go right over it, locked threads included, haha).

...
... and are those fumes possibly originating from the most destructive forces in human history?   

There's nothing funny about islamophobia dude!

Banned for Thread got quashed. My pun is gone!

You can apply online or at the immigration office, but it has to be done in advance. You can supposedly pick up your re-entry permit at the airport on the day of your flight provided that you applied for and were approved for it beforehand, though. I won't be testing that, personally.

Right, was gonna say.

Covid's here to stay, it's not going anywhere. People have been saying this for a long, long time.

That's why many places are working on "living with covid" strategies, which are incredibly dependent on people getting vaxxed in order to reduce covid's impact on them, the people around them, and on society in general. You could still catch covid after getting vaxxed, but that chance is greatly reduced, and the chances of you being hospitalized or dying from complications as a result of covid also drop dramatically with vaccination. So even if you still get covid, it will have far less impact on you.

Ah, thanks.  I'll have to remember to get a re-entry permit. 

As for living with Covid, got a message from my gym that starting from November 15th only vaccinated people are allowed in.  I don't think Hangook works out so that won't be an issue but pretty soon the same may apply to other services he uses.  I think that's what a lot of private businesses are going to go with and that may get the fence sitters and needlessly paranoid to go get their shots.  No one is going to force you, but don't step foot in this place of business.  And I'm willing to bet eventually Hangook's school is going to present him with an ultimatum and he'll get his shots like a big boy. 

There's nothing funny about islamophobia dude!

Au contraire!
Positive humor facilitates real reappraisal, and is often used as a tool for systematic desensitization to reduce social fears. 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11506052/

My friend from Vietnam is named Tran Nee. Nice guy.

Au contraire!
Positive humor facilitates real reappraisal, and is often used as a systematic desensitization to reduce social fears. 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11506052/

Ok since you have evidence and a testable thesis I can concur but one wonders why that thread was closed down?  I thought it was hilarious. 

Banned for Thread got quashed. My pun is gone!

Did it have to do with Hangook's clear double entendres about transgender dates not being honest and shoving it down your throat?  That's where I went.  I don't think he realised what he was writing.