Government "From the 24th, Raise Social Distancing to Level 2 in the Capital Area... Honam Level 1.5"

As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection reached 330, maintaining the 300s for five consecutive days, the Sinchon area in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, showed a quiet scene on the 22nd. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] From the 24th, social distancing measures in the Seoul metropolitan area will be raised to Level 2. Restaurants will be prohibited from operating on-site after 9 PM, and cafes will not be allowed to operate on-site throughout the day. Other facilities with a high risk of transmission will also be prohibited from operating after 9 PM, and wearing masks will be mandatory in all indoor spaces. The Honam region will be raised to social distancing Level 1.5.

On the 22nd, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters evaluated the recent quarantine management situation and risk level and made this decision. According to authorities, the average daily number of domestic cases over the past week (November 15?21) was 255.6, with 175.1 cases in the metropolitan area. This is more than double compared to the previous week. For elderly patients aged 60 and above, who are at higher risk of fatal outcomes, the daily average was 67.4, an increase of 24 compared to the previous week.

The Central Disaster Headquarters explained, "New cases continue to rise, with nationwide daily cases in the 300s and metropolitan area cases in the 200s since last Friday. Small-scale cluster infections have been appearing sequentially in various daily life settings, with 62 cluster infections identified in the past two weeks."

If the current trend continues, authorities expect that the metropolitan area will reach the Level 2 social distancing criterion of a weekly average of 200 daily cases by the 24th. The metropolitan area was already raised to Level 1.5 on the 19th, but since the spread has not been contained, this is a preemptive response before meeting the criteria. In the Honam region, Gwangju City raised the level to 1.5 from the 19th and, like the metropolitan area, will raise the entire region from the 24th.

This upgrade will be applied from 0:00 on the 24th until midnight on the 7th of next month. Local governments are allowed to flexibly adjust the timing, scope, and content of measures by considering regional characteristics, either strengthening or easing them. Since the effects of raising social distancing levels typically appear after at least ten days or about two weeks, the government expects the increase in new cases to continue through the upcoming weekend.

Under Level 2 social distancing, entertainment facilities such as clubs and hunting pochas will be prohibited from gathering and thus cannot operate. Facilities like door-to-door sales promotion centers, singing rooms, and indoor standing concert venues must cease operations from 9 PM, and occupancy limits such as one person per 4 to 8 square meters will be enforced. Restaurants can only offer takeout and delivery after 9 PM, and cafes can only provide takeout and delivery throughout their operating hours. Mask-wearing will be expanded to all indoor spaces, outdoor gatherings and protests, and sports stadiums. Weddings and other gatherings and events will be limited to fewer than 100 people.