Government: "Social Distancing Still Necessary Even After Transition to Living Quarantine" (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The government emphasized on the 17th that physical distancing remains necessary even after the end of the high-intensity social distancing measures.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' quarantine team, said this during a regular briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong that morning, adding, "Living quarantine does not completely disregard the basic principles of social distancing nor does it transform into a new form."

Yoon explained, "There is a misunderstanding that living quarantine is a concept different from social distancing. However, even with living quarantine, social distancing of about 1 to 2 meters is still necessary."

The government explained that living quarantine is a concept that relaxes the legal enforceability compared to social distancing. Yoon said, "Social distancing involves legal and mandatory measures, but living quarantine allows for sustainable distancing in daily life."

He added, "Physical distancing is fundamentally included within living quarantine as well. However, there may be differences in the extent of enforcement and the degree of legal sanctions imposed."

The government plans to announce its plans regarding the transition to living quarantine this weekend, coinciding with the end of the second phase of social distancing. Yoon stated, "We are preparing to transition to a sustainable living quarantine system that combines practicing social distancing with infection prevention activities in daily life. We will broadly collect and review opinions from various experts, local governments, and stakeholders, and provide a detailed explanation to the public this weekend."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.