Government to Announce on the 16th Whether to Lift the 'Ban on Gatherings of Five or More' (Update)

On the 23rd, when special quarantine measures banning all private gatherings of five or more people were implemented in the Seoul metropolitan area, a sign reading "Only up to 4 people allowed" was posted at the entrance of a restaurant in downtown Seoul. Starting from the 24th, the ban on gatherings of five or more people will be extended to restaurants nationwide, and cancellations or restraint of private gatherings will be strongly recommended. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The government will decide whether to maintain the 'ban on private gatherings of five or more people' as it announces the adjusted social distancing measures to be applied from next week on the 16th.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters' quarantine team, said at a regular briefing on the 13th, "We will announce on Saturday (the 16th) after final discussions whether to maintain or ease the ban on private gatherings of five or more people."

The ban on private gatherings of five or more people, which was applied only in the metropolitan area at the end of last year, was expanded nationwide from the 4th of this month.

The government evaluated that the ban on private gatherings of five or more people helped reduce cluster infections of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The quarantine authorities classify infections caused by contact between individuals as involving fewer than five people.

Yoon said, "While cluster infections involving five or more people have significantly decreased, the proportion of infections caused by contact between individuals continues to rise," adding, "We believe that the ban on private gatherings of five or more people contributed to reducing cluster infections."

The government views the third wave of the pandemic as gradually declining. Yoon stated, "The current risk level has decreased compared to when the special quarantine measures for the year-end and New Year holidays were extended," but added, "However, since there is a possibility of a resurgence after the easing of measures, we will consider the situation comprehensively."

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