Prime Minister Jeong: "Maintain Social Distancing Until the 5th of Next Month"...Partial Easing of Restrictions on Religious Facilities (Update)

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 19th, "From tomorrow until May 5th, we will maintain the foundation of the current social distancing measures while easing some restrictions."

Prime Minister Chung presided over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting on COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office and stated, "Today marks the scheduled end of the intense social distancing measures implemented over the past four weeks."

He added, "The intended outcomes have been somewhat achieved, with the number of new confirmed cases reduced to a single digit of 8. The proportion of cases with unknown infection routes has decreased to below 5%," and expressed gratitude by saying, "This is all thanks to the citizens who have adhered to the quarantine guidelines with a strong sense of solidarity and participation."

He continued, "Of course, this is by no means a stage to be complacent. The risk of asymptomatic transmission has not disappeared, and we must carefully monitor the impact of the increased social contacts over the past week," emphasizing, "Considering these factors, maintaining intense social distancing remains the safest approach from a quarantine perspective."

However, he acknowledged, "Everyone is exhausted, and realistically, it is not an easy task," adding, "What we must endure is not only the frustration of daily life but also the sacrifices in socio-economic activities."

Prime Minister Chung further stated, "Ultimately, we need to find a compromise that reduces risk. We have listened to many opinions and considered ways to gradually adjust the intensity," mentioning, "For the four major densely populated facilities such as religious institutions, we will maintain the current quarantine compliance orders but lift the strong recommendation to suspend operations."

He also explained, "Outdoor public facilities with low risk, such as natural recreation forests, will resume operations as preparations are completed. Outdoor sports may be possible if risks can be lowered, such as holding games without spectators," and added, "Essential qualification exams or recruitment tests will be conducted on a limited basis, strictly adhering to quarantine rules."

Prime Minister Chung concluded, "If stable management at the current level continues, from May 6th, we will transition to 'everyday distancing,' practicing distancing in daily life," and requested, "Regarding school reopening, we will review a phased approach based on the overall situation. The Ministry of Education is asked to discuss specific plans for school reopening with the education sector, local communities, and parents."

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