"Stay at Home" Plea from Government Fails... Mobility Actually Increases After Level 2.5 Restrictions

Increased Mobility and Card Sales After Strengthened Level 2 Quarantine Measures in the Seoul Metropolitan Area
Health Authorities "Public Fatigue Intensifies... Extension Decision to Be Made by Weekend"

On the 8th, while the social distancing level 2.5 is in effect due to the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), citizens are resting at an outdoor cafe in downtown Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] After implementing the so-called Level 2.5 social distancing measures, which are stricter than Level 2, the amount of movement in the Seoul metropolitan area has actually increased. The government believes this is largely due to growing fatigue among citizens as the quarantine measures have been prolonged.

According to the analysis of movement in the metropolitan area reported at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the 10th, the number of mobile phone movements over the past weekend (September 5-6) was 26.61 million, a 6.3% increase from 25.04 million the previous weekend (August 29-30). This figure counts cases where individuals stayed for more than 30 minutes in places other than their actual residence based on basic local government units.

Public transportation usage such as buses and subways in the metropolitan area, as well as card sales, also increased during the same period. The number of public transportation rides last weekend was 14.76 million, up 2.5% from the previous weekend, and card sales amounted to 1.0445 trillion won, a 3.5% increase over the same period.

Earlier, the government imposed Level 2.5 social distancing measures from the 30th of last month after a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in the metropolitan area. This was based on the judgment that the spread of infection was not being controlled even after raising to Level 2 in mid-last month. Generally, movement tended to decrease after Level 2 measures, but after the stronger Level 2.5 measures, it reversed to an increasing trend. Under Level 2.5, restaurants are prohibited from operating late at night and early morning, and large cafes are completely banned from in-store operations. In addition, many sectors such as academies and indoor sports facilities were unable to operate normally.

Weekend Mobile Phone Movement. This trend counts the number of movements when users of S Mobile Communications visit administrative districts in different cities or counties other than their actual residence and stay for more than 30 minutes.

Although there might be criticism that social distancing has become lax, health authorities do not see it that way. Son Young-rae, head of strategic planning at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at a briefing that "Although movement slightly increased last weekend, it is still about 20% lower compared to before the Level 2 measures were implemented on the 16th of last month," adding, "The decreasing trend is being maintained, and it is hard to say that the public is not participating in social distancing."

He also said, "The prolonged strengthened quarantine measures have increased public fatigue and accumulated various difficulties, which this indicator also reflects," and urged, "We ask that social distancing be observed more thoroughly through this weekend."

The government announced that the decision on whether to extend the Level 2.5 social distancing measures, currently scheduled until the 13th for the metropolitan area, will be made around this weekend. Yoon Tae-ho, head of quarantine at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said, "We need to comprehensively review local governments, related ministries, various social and economic impacts, trends in confirmed cases, cluster infections, and reproduction numbers," adding, "We need to observe the trend a bit more and make a final decision, so it is highly likely that the decision regarding the adjustment of social distancing will be made around the weekend."

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