Metropolitan Area Level 4 and Non-Metropolitan Area Level 3 Extended for 2 Weeks
Vaccine Incentives Revived... Gatherings Up to 4 People in Restaurants and Cafes in the Evening
The government has decided to extend the Level 4 social distancing measures applied in the Seoul metropolitan area for two more weeks until the 5th of next month. Operating hours for restaurants and cafes will be moved up to 9 PM. This decision comes amid daily new COVID-19 cases remaining in the 2,000 range, making it difficult to ease quarantine measures. However, considering quarantine fatigue and the damage to small business owners and self-employed individuals, a 'vaccine incentive' has been added to partially relax private gathering restrictions for those who have completed vaccination.
◆ New cases exceed 2,000 for two consecutive days... Level 4 maintained in metropolitan area = According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on the 20th, there were 2,052 new confirmed COVID-19 cases. Following the previous day's 2,152 cases, this marks the first time daily new cases have exceeded 2,000 for two consecutive days. The weekly average of locally transmitted cases, a key indicator for adjusting social distancing levels, stood at 1,757.4, maintaining the 1,700 range for nine consecutive days.
With the dominance of the Delta variant and increased movement during the vacation season and Liberation Day holidays, the spread has not subsided. Consequently, the authorities extended the Level 4 social distancing in the metropolitan area and Level 3 in non-metropolitan areas, which were originally scheduled to end on the 22nd. Notably, the highest level of social distancing in the metropolitan area has continued for eight weeks since last month’s 12th. In Level 4 areas, operating hours for restaurants and cafes will be shortened by one hour from the current 10 PM to 9 PM as part of strengthened quarantine measures. Additionally, workers in facilities prone to cluster infections in Level 4 areas?such as bathhouses, indoor sports facilities, karaoke rooms, academies, department stores, and large supermarkets?will be required to undergo proactive testing once every two weeks.
Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum emphasized, "We will ensure that the entire community no longer bears the burden of quarantine due to the violations and deviations of a very small minority," adding, "We will strengthen administrative sanctions and thoroughly identify illegal activities from the epidemiological investigation process." He expressed a heavy heart in requesting patience and cooperation once again, stating, "The next two weeks of quarantine management, as the second semester begins and nationwide vaccination gains momentum, will be a turning point in overcoming this fourth wave," urging cooperation with quarantine measures.
◆ From 6 PM, gatherings of up to 4 people allowed if 2 are fully vaccinated = The government also announced plans to provide incentives for vaccinated individuals. Under the current Level 4 in the metropolitan area, private gatherings are limited to two people after 6 PM. However, starting from the 23rd, in restaurants and cafes, gatherings of up to four people will be allowed if two of them have completed vaccination. This measure aims to slightly ease the burden on self-employed individuals suffering from prolonged strict social distancing and to encourage participation in the large-scale vaccination campaign for those aged 18 to 49 starting next week.
Regarding the newly introduced vaccine incentives, concerns were raised that it might be interpreted as a message to relax quarantine measures prematurely, while others viewed it as a starting point for transitioning to a 'With Corona' quarantine system. Professor Choi Jae-wook of Korea University College of Medicine’s Department of Preventive Medicine said, "The government appears to be responding to quarantine by maintaining social distancing in the short term and adjusting detailed measures, while simultaneously compromising on quarantine easing based on a mid- to long-term transition to With Corona. However, transparent explanations about this major direction are necessary for social acceptance."
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