Social Distancing Adjustment Plan to Be Announced This Afternoon... Will the Current Phase Be Maintained? (Comprehensive)

355 Confirmed Cases as of Midnight on the 31st... Testing Also Decreases
Infection Reproduction Number Exceeds 1, Making Easing Measures Difficult

On the 19th, a citizen is holding a social distancing sign at a temporary screening clinic for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) set up at Seoul Station Plaza. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced that as of midnight, 386 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed domestically, bringing the total to 73,115. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The government will announce adjustments to social distancing measures this afternoon. Although the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases has decreased compared to the third wave, the cluster infection originating from the IM Mission has caused numbers to rise again, so bans on gatherings of five or more people and the current distancing level are expected to be maintained.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) on the 31st, as of midnight, there were 355 new confirmed COVID-19 cases. This is the first time in five days that the number of confirmed cases has dropped to the 300s since the 26th (349 cases).

The decrease in confirmed cases is influenced by the number of tests being reduced to about half of the weekday level, so it is premature to conclude that the spread has been curbed. On the 30th, the number of tests conducted was 24,290, about half of the 47,268 tests conducted on the previous weekday.

Not only the increase in new confirmed cases but also the fact that the infection reproduction number exceeded 1 this week makes the government cautious about easing distancing measures. The infection reproduction number quantifies how many people one infected person transmits the virus to; a value above 1 means the infection is spreading. In the first week of this month, it was 0.88, 0.79 in the second week, and 0.82 in the third week, remaining below 1 for three consecutive weeks, but it has exceeded 1 starting this week.

On the 18th, when indoor sports facilities in the Seoul metropolitan area resumed operations, citizens were exercising at a gym in Seoul. The quarantine authorities eased some social distancing measures for multi-use facilities such as cafes, indoor sports facilities, and singing practice rooms in the metropolitan area. From this day, cafes are allowed to serve customers on-site until 9 p.m., and gyms can operate with a limit of one person per 8 square meters. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The number of locally transmitted confirmed cases, a key indicator for adjusting distancing levels, also aligns with maintaining level 2.5. The average daily number of confirmed cases over the past week was 446, with 418 locally transmitted cases. The criteria for level 2.5 include nationwide cases between 400 and 500 or a rapid increase such as doubling.

The impact of the cluster infection from the IM Mission has been significant, and cluster infections are also increasing at Seoul’s Hanyang University Hospital and Boramae Hospital. As of the 30th, 13 new confirmed cases were reported at six unauthorized educational facilities affiliated with the IM Mission, bringing the cumulative total to 368. Hanyang University Hospital reported 27 confirmed cases, and Boramae Hospital reported 5.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will announce the social distancing adjustment plan at a briefing at 4:30 p.m. today. The government is reportedly considering extending the current distancing level and the ban on gatherings of five or more people. This is due to the infection reproduction number indicating a spread of the epidemic and increased movement over the weekend.

Jeon Hae-cheol, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said at a meeting the day before, "The trend of COVID-19 confirmed cases, which had been stable for some time, continues in the 400s due to the cluster infection at the Daejeon IM Mission, raising concerns about further spread. Considering the recent situation of increasing uncertainty, we are reviewing changes to social distancing levels more cautiously than ever."

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