Social Distancing Refined from 3 to 5 Levels... Effective from the 7th (Update)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] The government will subdivide the social distancing levels for responding to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) from the existing 3 levels to 5 levels and apply them starting from the 7th of this month.

As COVID-19 prolongs, the goal is to control the spread of COVID-19 below a manageable risk level, and instead of uniform measures on facilities and activities, operating hours and the number of users will be restricted step-by-step according to changes in risk levels. However, to suppress COVID-19 as much as possible, core quarantine rules such as mandatory mask-wearing will be enforced on 23 types of multi-use facilities starting from social distancing level 1.

Park Neung-hoo, the first head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at a regular briefing held at the Government Seoul Office on the 1st, "The existing 3-level social distancing system will be subdivided into 5 levels," adding, "When levels were raised, significant social confusion and resistance occurred, and especially level 3 caused excessive social and economic damage, making it difficult to operate effectively."

Although the government maintained the 3-level system, during actual level adjustments from August to October, levels 1.5 and 2.5 were implemented considering social acceptability, effectively operating as a 5-level system.

In particular, although the capacity for medical response has generally increased due to recent expansions in intensive care units and other medical systems, the current criteria for raising levels were set too low based on initial medical capacity, which has been a problem.

Compared to major overseas cases, Korea’s criteria for raising levels have been quite conservative. Major foreign countries use the number of confirmed cases per 100,000 people as a standard when strengthening quarantine measures.

The feature of this revision is that the existing 3-level system is further subdivided and regional responses are strengthened. The COVID-19 situation is broadly divided into daily quarantine (level 1), regional outbreaks (levels 1.5 and 2), and nationwide outbreaks (levels 2.5 and 3), with levels 1.5 and 2.5 newly established by further subdividing regional and nationwide outbreak stages. The application of levels is also differentiated across seven regions: the Seoul metropolitan area, Chungcheong region, Honam region, Gyeongbuk region, Gyeongnam region, Gangwon, and Jeju.

Park said, "We added levels 1.5 and 2.5, which people are familiar with, classifying level 1 as daily quarantine, levels 1.5 and 2 as regional outbreaks, and levels 2.5 and 3 as nationwide outbreaks," adding, "Among the subdivided levels, quarantine will be strengthened centered on outbreak regions up to the regional outbreak stages, and at the nationwide outbreak stages, which exceed the usual response capacity of our medical system, enhanced quarantine measures will be applied nationwide."

Additionally, considering the capacity of intensive care beds that have been expanded so far, the criteria for raising levels have been adjusted.

The government will adjust current quarantine measures to fit the revised social distancing level 1 according to the revised distancing plan and apply them from the 7th, considering the preparation period on site.

However, the penalty imposition for mandatory mask-wearing will be applied from November 13, in line with the end of the previously announced guidance period.

Park said, "If the COVID-19 outbreak spreads further, in principle, this revised distancing plan will be followed, but levels and quarantine measures can be flexibly adjusted and operated depending on the quarantine situation and characteristics of the outbreak," adding, "Based on the results of expanding intensive care units and other medical and quarantine systems, the criteria for level adjustment may be readjusted early next year."