Incheon City Bans Private Gatherings of 5 or More from the 23rd... Focus on Blocking the 'Balloon Effect'

Joint Response with Seoul and Gyeonggi Until January 3 Next Year
Record High of 89 New Cases on the 21st
No Capacity Left in Dedicated Severe Patient Treatment Beds

Incheon Mayor Park Nam-chun is holding an online press conference announcing a ban on private gatherings of five or more people to prevent the spread of COVID-19. December 21, 2020.
[Photo by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] As the third wave of COVID-19 intensifies nationwide with the number of confirmed cases exceeding 1,000, Incheon City announced that it will ban private gatherings of five or more people from the 23rd of this month until January 3rd of next year.

Incheon City, together with Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, announced on the 21st that it will implement a ban on all gatherings of five or more people.

This applies to all social activities aimed at fostering camaraderie, including clubs, year-end parties, company dinners, workshops, and housewarmings. However, weddings and funerals will continue to follow the existing Level 2.5 social distancing guideline allowing up to 50 people.

Mayor Park Namchun held an emergency briefing that day and explained the reason for banning private gatherings of five or more people, saying, "If the situation continues with around 1,000 new confirmed cases daily, our hard-won medical and quarantine systems could be fundamentally threatened."

Mayor Park expressed concern, stating, "Incheon has relatively controlled the situation well compared to the metropolitan area, but today recorded a new high of 89 confirmed cases. We are doing our best to secure hospital beds and spaces in residential treatment centers, but the number of people waiting continues to increase, and all 27 beds dedicated to severe patients are in use, leaving no capacity."

He added, "In this situation, it is absolutely not the case that Incheon alone can improve the situation by doing its best. Joint response and cooperation in the metropolitan area are more urgent than ever."

Mayor Park said, "Especially with the Christmas holidays and year-end season approaching, concerns about the spread of COVID-19 are increasing. Seoul and Gyeonggi have proposed strong emergency quarantine measures, and Incheon must align with these to prevent the balloon effect from causing further spread."

Incheon City also urged citizens to actively get tested for COVID-19 at temporary screening clinics, where anyone can receive a test regardless of epidemiological relation or symptoms, to help suppress the spread of infection.

The city is already conducting proactive preemptive testing for facilities and workers deemed at risk of group infections, such as nursing homes and day care centers.

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