[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] The government is expected to implement new social distancing measures starting next week, increasing the maximum number of private gatherings by 2 to 10 people and extending the operating hours of restaurants and cafes by 1 hour until midnight. Since the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the Omicron variant has passed its peak, this social distancing is likely to be the 'final social distancing' measure in COVID-19 prevention.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) on the 31st, the government has decided to increase the maximum size of private gatherings to 10 people and extend the operating hours of multi-use facilities until midnight starting from the 4th of next month. Under the current social distancing rules, private gatherings are limited to 8 people, and operating hours are until 11 p.m.
The government will finalize the new social distancing plan at the CDSCH meeting on the morning of the 1st and announce it through a briefing at 11:30 a.m.
According to this measure, multi-use facilities whose operating hours will be extended by 1 hour until midnight include restaurants, cafes, singing rooms, bathhouses, indoor sports facilities, entertainment venues, lifelong vocational education academies, PC rooms, arcades and multi-rooms, casinos, party rooms, massage and therapy centers, movie theaters, and performance halls.
Earlier, the Presidential Transition Committee publicly requested the removal of operating hour restrictions, leading to speculation that these facilities might be allowed to operate 24 hours starting next week, but for now, only a 1-hour extension is expected.
Although the Omicron wave is currently showing a gradual decline, the decision was made based on concerns that temporarily lifting the quarantine system could lead to a resurgence of infections. It also considered the possibility that if the wave increases again, the number of severe patients could surge beyond the healthcare system's capacity to manage.
The government previously extended the operating hours of multi-use facilities by 1 hour increments from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., then to 11 p.m., and increased the private gathering limit to 8 people through three rounds of adjustments.
With this additional easing measure, social distancing is effectively on the path to being abolished. If there is no sudden worsening of the outbreak and the decline continues, social distancing is expected to be completely lifted in the next adjustment.
It is also known that the Daily Recovery Support Committee has shared the policy that this social distancing will be the final one, and the government plans to emphasize this message when announcing the adjustment plan on the 1st.
Meanwhile, the briefing on the social distancing adjustment plan was originally scheduled to be conducted by Lee Gi-il, the first controller of the CDSCH, but considering the gravity of the announcement, the presenter was changed to Kwon Deok-cheol, the first deputy head of the CDSCH (Minister of Health and Welfare).
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