'Ban on Gatherings of 5 or More' Extended for 2 Weeks... Direct Family and Sanggyeonrye Allowed up to 8 People (Comprehensive)

Current Social Distancing Measures Extended Until the 28th
Level 2 in the Metropolitan Area, Level 1.5 in Non-Metropolitan Areas

A social distancing notice to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is installed at the entrance of the restroom at Mannam Square Service Area on the Busan-bound side of the Seoul Gyeongbu Expressway. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The current social distancing level will be extended for two more weeks, and major quarantine rules such as the ban on private gatherings of five or more people will be maintained. With the number of confirmed cases consistently recording between 300 and 400 daily, the third wave of the pandemic is not subsiding easily, and the spread of variant viruses has made it impossible to lower vigilance.

However, to alleviate public inconvenience, private gatherings will be allowed only for immediate family meetings and marriage ceremonies, with a maximum limit of 8 people.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s Central Disease Control Headquarters announced on the 12th at midnight that the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases increased by 488 from the previous day to 94,686. The infection routes of new confirmed cases were 467 local transmissions and 21 imported cases.

The key criterion for adjusting the current social distancing level, the number of locally transmitted confirmed cases, has been recorded as 404 → 399 → 335 → 427 → 452 → 444 → 467 since the 6th, with a weekly daily average rising to 418. This exceeds the current level 2 in the metropolitan area and level 1.5 in non-metropolitan areas, meeting the nationwide level 2.5 upgrade criteria of a weekly average of 400 to 500 or more confirmed cases nationwide or a rapid increase such as doubling.

The third wave, which greatly expanded at the end of last year with daily confirmed cases exceeding 1,000, is showing a prolonged pattern, maintaining daily new confirmed cases in the 300 to 400 range for several months, unlike the first and second waves. Especially with the new school term starting in March and spring approaching, there is concern about a fourth wave if citizens’ vigilance relaxes, and the spread of variant viruses is causing difficulties in quarantine efforts, which is analyzed as the reason for this extension measure.

Yoon Tae-ho, Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' Quarantine General Division [Image source=Yonhap News]

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters’ quarantine team, emphasized the necessity of the extension measure during the regular briefing of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, stating, "We are at a stage of a tense battle between quarantine and COVID-19." However, regarding additional social distancing level upgrades, he explained, "So far, the current quarantine response capacity is considered manageable," and "We have judged that upgrading social distancing measures is still manageable with the current response capacity," adding that no additional measures are currently under consideration.

However, quarantine measures will be strengthened in the metropolitan area. To prevent the spread of cluster infections in workplaces with high risk, proactive COVID-19 testing will be conducted through temporary screening clinics in industrial complexes and residential areas with many migrant workers. Additionally, for two weeks, comprehensive inspections will be conducted in everyday life spaces such as department stores, large marts, bathhouses, academies, restaurants, and cafes in the metropolitan area, and COVID-19 testing will be carried out for workers in vulnerable facilities with high infection risk.

The government decided to mostly maintain existing measures while easing some to alleviate public inconvenience. The ban on private gatherings of five or more people will be maintained, but exceptions will be applied for immediate family gatherings and marriage ceremonies between both families. However, even in these cases, the maximum number of participants is limited to 8. Children under 6 years old are also exempt from the 4-person rule.

On the other hand, considering the high infection risk in sleeping areas of bathhouse businesses, a new 10 p.m. operating restriction will be applied in the metropolitan area. However, sauna and jjimjilbang (Korean-style sauna) facilities may operate if quarantine rules such as social distancing are followed.

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