Authorities: "Current Social Distancing Only Slows Increase... Measures Needed to Reduce Overall Social Contact"

Strengthened Social Distancing Measures Expected to Be Announced on the 17th
"Efforts to Take Short-Term Actions to Improve the Situation as Much as Possible"

On the 15th, when 7,850 new COVID-19 cases and 964 critically ill patients were recorded, marking the highest numbers ever, citizens waiting to be tested lined up at a screening clinic set up at Songpa-gu Public Health Center in Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The government mentioned the possibility of strengthening social distancing measures, stating that the current distancing measures in place are not very effective.

On the morning of the 15th, Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, responded to a question about the effectiveness of the current distancing measures during a regular briefing, saying, "Looking at the speed of the spread and the proportion of confirmed cases among the elderly, there seems to be a tendency for the rate of increase to slow down," but added, "There have been no significant changes such as a clear shift to a decline."

Regarding the cause, he said, "The biggest factor is the accumulated fatigue throughout society due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic," and added, "The biggest concern is whether to devise measures that can achieve more meaningful results amid this fatigue."

The government plans to implement high-intensity social distancing measures under the judgment that the current quarantine measures are not suppressing the spread of COVID-19. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum stated at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the morning of the same day, "We are taking the current quarantine situation very seriously and intend to implement stronger social distancing measures." Accordingly, detailed information is expected to be announced on the 17th, with the possibility of immediate enforcement starting on the 18th. It is likely that the size of private gatherings, currently limited to six people in the metropolitan area, will be reduced back to four, and the operating hours of multi-use facilities, which have been lifted except for entertainment venues, will be restricted to 10 p.m.

However, Son said, "The government is discussing various opinions internally about what kind of distancing strengthening measures to decide on," and added, "We will discuss and decide on detailed plans and announce them in detail."

Regarding criticism that the government failed to curb the spread of COVID-19 due to a delayed decision, he explained, "There are many concerns not only about the procedures but also about the content." Son said, "Measures such as restrictions on gatherings and operating hours are intended to reduce personal contact across society and block the spread," and noted, "Inconveniences to the public and impacts on the livelihood economy are inevitable." He added, "We recognize the current situation as serious and believe that measures to reduce contact across society are necessary. We will do our best to take measures in the short term to improve the situation."