Why was social distancing easing limited to 9 PM → 10 PM in non-metropolitan areas? ... "The metropolitan area is not yet at a reassuring stage regarding the spread"

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is preparing for the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting on COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office on the morning of the 6th, a holiday.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, the government discussed measures to adjust social distancing levels but decided to maintain major quarantine measures except for extending the operating hours of non-metropolitan restaurants and cafes from 9 PM to 10 PM. This decision was based on the assessment that although the third wave of infections is subsiding, it is still not a stage to be complacent.

On the 6th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH), chaired by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun (head of the headquarters), held a meeting at the Government Seoul Office with central ministries, 17 metropolitan local governments, and key local governments to discuss the current COVID-19 status, measures, and social distancing adjustment plans, and made this decision.

Previously, on the 31st of last month, the government announced that core quarantine measures would be maintained, but social distancing adjustments would be reconsidered after monitoring patient trends and infection spread for one week. With the Lunar New Year holiday approaching, there was keen interest in the level of social distancing adjustments, as continuing high-intensity measures such as banning private gatherings of five or more people could increase public fatigue with quarantine measures.

Accordingly, the CDSCH decided on the 6th to ease operating hour restrictions for about 580,000 establishments including restaurants, cafes, and indoor sports facilities in non-metropolitan areas from 9 PM to 10 PM starting the 7th, while maintaining other quarantine measures. Prime Minister Chung explained, "This decision was not made because we have entered a definite stable phase, but after much deliberation to alleviate the suffering of self-employed people who have reached their limits even slightly."

Accordingly, among the 14 non-metropolitan cities and provinces, operating hours for businesses restricted to 9 PM (▲restaurants and cafes ▲indoor sports facilities ▲karaoke rooms ▲door-to-door sales ▲indoor standing concert halls ▲party rooms) will be extended to 10 PM in 13 cities and provinces, while Gwangju will announce its decision separately tomorrow considering the infection trends.

Kang Do-tae, the 1st Chief Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Vice Minister of Health and Welfare), is holding a regular briefing on the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) at the Government Seoul Office Building on the morning of the 6th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Kang Do-tae, the first chief coordinator of the CDSCH (Vice Minister of Health and Welfare), warned, "Extending operating hours from 9 PM to 10 PM does not mean it is safe to do so," adding, "There is clearly a possibility of increased gatherings and associated risks." Nevertheless, he explained, "Considering the difficulties faced by the common economy, and after thorough compliance with quarantine rules by related associations and organizations to minimize risks, we decided to prioritize extending operating hours by about one hour in some cases, taking economic conditions into account."

However, other important quarantine measures such as social distancing level 2.5 in the metropolitan area, level 2 in non-metropolitan areas, and the ban on private gatherings of five or more people will be maintained until the 14th.

According to the CDSCH, the weekly average daily number of patients from the 31st of last month to the 6th at midnight was 354.6, a decrease from 424.0 the previous week, marking the lowest figure this year. This is below the level of 400 to 500 cases nationwide, which is the threshold for raising to level 2.5.

However, the CDSCH noted that regionally, "In the metropolitan area, the number of patients remains in the mid-200s and is not decreasing, so it is not a stage to be reassured." The metropolitan area still showed a weekly average of 257.6 cases, up from 243.6 the previous week, maintaining a figure higher than the level 2 threshold of 200 cases.

Meanwhile, non-metropolitan areas, where level 2 is applied, fell below 100 cases for the first time with a weekly average of 97.0, and all regions were below the level 2 threshold.

Furthermore, as of the 3rd, a total of 39 cases of imported overseas variant viruses were confirmed, and sporadic cluster infections are occurring nationwide, according to the CDSCH. With the Lunar New Year holiday approaching, there is concern that increased interregional movement, travel, and gatherings could raise the risk of infection spread, leading the CDSCH to ultimately decide to maintain most of the existing major quarantine measures.

On the 1st, a large banner for social distancing during the Lunar New Year holiday to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is hung on the outer wall of the Seoul Library in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

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