Allowed Private Gatherings of Immediate Family... Government Says "Risk of Transmission Remains"

"Exceptional Allowance Considering Complaints About Not Being Able to Visit Elderly Parents"

On the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday, the 11th, Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, is volunteering for specimen collection at a temporary COVID-19 screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza. The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight that day, there were 504 new domestic COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 82,434. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The government stated that in allowing private gatherings of five or more people only among immediate family members excluding siblings, it considered both the risk of COVID-19 transmission and complaints about 'not being able to visit elderly parents.'

On the 15th, Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at a COVID-19 briefing, "The ban on private gatherings of five or more people has already lasted about a month and a half, and especially in the metropolitan area, it has entered the eighth week," adding, "As it has been prolonged, complaints about not being able to visit elderly parents have emerged, and although the risk is high, meetings are exceptionally allowed."

He continued, "The ban on private gatherings of five or more people is a measure to block infections that have a high proportion of transmission through personal contact," and explained, "It is not that the risk has decreased to allow exceptions; the risk is still considered to be high."

Mr. Son said, "Meeting parents still carries risks," and requested, "Please refrain from having meals together or staying for long periods as much as possible."

Additionally, the government is preparing a reform plan to supplement the current social distancing system, which has faced issues during the third wave of the pandemic, and plans to hold a press corps meeting on the 18th to gather opinions. The government has previously heard opinions from experts, self-employed workers, and small business owners through two prior forums.

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