Adjustment of Alcohol Abstinence Social Distancing Levels... "Considering Number of Patients and Unknown Infection Rate"

On the 29th, a day before the Chuseok holiday, Seoul Station is less crowded compared to previous years. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The government will decide this week on the new social distancing levels to be applied starting next week.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) quarantine team, stated this during a briefing at the Government Complex Sejong on the 6th, adding, "The most important factor in adjusting the social distancing levels after the special quarantine period is the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases."

Yoon explained, "When the number of confirmed cases increases, the proportion of cases with unidentified infection routes tends to rise," and added, "As the number of confirmed cases decreases, we hope the proportion of cases with unknown infection routes will also decrease."

In addition to the number of confirmed cases and the proportion of unclear infection routes, factors such as the number of cluster outbreaks, fatigue with social distancing, and critical patient treatment capacity are also considered when deciding the social distancing level. The quarantine authorities plan to comprehensively consider these factors to adjust the distancing levels.

Regarding the timing of the distancing decision, Yoon mentioned it would likely be after midweek. He said, "The number of confirmed cases has not increased significantly after the Chuseok holiday and has remained stable," but added, "There was a cluster outbreak at a military base in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, and the increase in confirmed cases due to exposure during the holiday period needs to be closely monitored through this week."

Yoon emphasized, "Efforts must be made to prevent further spread during the special quarantine period, which lasts until the 11th. We must remain vigilant and adhere to quarantine guidelines," and said, "If the COVID-19 situation stabilizes by the weekend, it will serve as a reference for the quarantine authorities in determining the social distancing level for next week."

Son Young-rae, head of the CDSCH strategic planning team, also said, "We will monitor patient trends and decide on next week's distancing level within this week," adding, "We are considering how to implement the claims of the media and experts to 'strengthen systematic operation by precisely allowing activities rather than unconditional suspension of operations.'"

The government is also reviewing the need to adjust the social distancing system itself. Yoon stated, "Discussions are underway regarding adjustments to the distancing system itself," but added, "Since it is still under discussion, it is difficult to comment at this time."

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