Unification to Prevent Public Confusion... "Most Local Governments Agree"
The momentum of the 4th wave of COVID-19 is intensifying. While around 1,000 patients are being reported in the metropolitan area, the number of confirmed cases in non-metropolitan regions has also risen to the 400s, showing signs of nationwide spread. On the 16th, the domestic terminal at Gimpo Airport in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, was bustling with travelers. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] As COVID-19 cases surge in non-metropolitan areas, the government has decided to limit private gatherings to no more than four people across all non-metropolitan regions for two weeks, from tomorrow (the 19th) until the 1st of next month.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) announced the ‘Adjustment Plan for Restricting Private Gatherings in Non-Metropolitan Areas’ on the 18th.
On the same day, Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, explained, "While the metropolitan area continues to experience an outbreak, non-metropolitan areas have also shifted to a clear upward trend. In particular, the spread is rapid in Jeju, Daejeon·Chungcheong, and Busan·Gyeongnam regions, and except for Honam and Gyeongbuk regions, all non-metropolitan areas are showing social distancing levels above stage 2, prompting local governments to adjust distancing stages."
Starting Monday, Jeju will apply social distancing stage 3, and Gangneung in Gangwon Province will apply stage 4.
However, the government has set some exceptions to allow gatherings when necessary.
For example, private gathering restrictions do not apply to cohabiting families or cases requiring care such as children, elderly, and disabled persons, or when attending a dying relative. Exceptions also apply to gatherings of direct family members such as grandparents, parents, and children.
Matchmaking meetings can have up to 8 attendees, and first birthday parties (Doljanchi) can have up to 16 attendees. Exceptions are also made when the minimum number of participants is required for organizing sports games.
Daejeon, Gwangju, Busan, Sejong, Jeju... Vaccinated Individuals Also Counted in Private Gathering Limits
While vaccinated individuals are generally exempt from private gathering limits, in Daejeon, Gwangju, Busan, Sejong, and Jeju, vaccinated persons are not excluded from the gathering limits.
Son said, "Although social distancing levels and private gathering restrictions vary according to the local outbreak situation in non-metropolitan areas, considering the increased interregional movement during the recent holiday season and potential public confusion, we discussed unifying private gathering restrictions."
He added, "All local governments agreed to unify private gathering restrictions in this spirit. However, adjustments to social distancing stages that significantly impact businesses still require local government decisions based on regional situations, as is currently the case."
According to the CDSCH, the average daily number of domestic patients over the past week was 1,349, a 36% increase compared to 992 in the previous week. The infection reproduction number last week was 1.32, remaining above 1 for three consecutive weeks, indicating a growing outbreak.
Son stated, "About 80% of infection routes are still small-scale contact infections and cases under investigation, indicating frequent small infections in daily life. Despite expanded testing, the positivity rate in the second week of July was 3.9%, up from 2.4% in the fourth week of June, suggesting the virus is spreading throughout daily life."
The number of variant viruses is also steadily increasing. Among all analyzed cases in the second week of July, variants accounted for 47%, with the Delta variant alone detected in about one-third (34%).
Son emphasized, "The fourth wave continues to spread, centered on young and middle-aged adults, daily contacts, and variant viruses. Especially in the metropolitan area, infections can occur anytime and anywhere, so please minimize contact between people and avoid places where many gather."
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