Park Neung-hoo: "Some Areas in the Seoul Metropolitan Area and Gangwon at Level 1.5 for 2 Weeks... Incheon from the 23rd" (Update)

Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo is holding a regular briefing on COVID-19 response on the 17th at the briefing room of the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The government decided to raise the social distancing level to 1.5 in the metropolitan area and Gangwon region starting from midnight on the 19th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The government will raise the social distancing level to 1.5 in the metropolitan area and some parts of Gangwon Province from midnight on the 19th until midnight on December 2nd to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). However, since the spread is not significant in Incheon, the distancing level will be raised starting from the 23rd.

Park Neung-hoo, the first deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) and Minister of Health and Welfare, stated at a regular briefing held at the Government Seoul Office on the 17th, "We have decided to raise the social distancing level to 1.5 as we judge that the local spread of COVID-19 is intensifying in the metropolitan area and Gangwon Province."

The government adjusts the social distancing level based on the average daily number of domestic confirmed cases and the number of confirmed cases aged 60 and above over one week. The metropolitan area will be raised to level 1.5 if the average daily cases exceed 100, and Gangwon Province if they exceed 10.

According to the CDSCH, the average daily confirmed cases in the metropolitan area over the past week from the 11th to the present is 111.3. The number of confirmed cases aged 60 and above is 39.7, close to the raising criterion of 40. Gangwon Province recorded 15.3 cases during the same period, with 4.6 cases aged 60 and above, exceeding the raising criterion of 4.

Deputy Head Park explained, "96% of the total confirmed cases in the metropolitan area occurred in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province," adding, "Incheon has an average of about 4 cases per day, so the spread of infection is limited."

Accordingly, the government decided to apply social distancing level 1.5 in Incheon starting from midnight on the 23rd. Deputy Head Park said, "Ganghwa County and Ongjin County will maintain level 1 measures, and some restrictions on religious activities will be eased."

Gangwon Province will not raise the level for the entire province but will allow individual cities, counties, and districts to apply level 1.5 independently. Deputy Head Park stated, "Considering that infections are concentrated in the Yeongseo region of Gangwon Province, the entire region will not have its level raised, and the cities, counties, and districts subject to raising will be decided independently."

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