Starting Tomorrow, Limited '8-Person Gatherings Allowed'... What Will Change?

Social distancing stickers are attached at the entrance of the temporary COVID-19 screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] From the 15th, the ban on private gatherings of five or more people will be lifted on a limited basis for direct family members, marriage meetings, and gatherings accompanied by infants and young children. However, even then, gatherings of up to 8 people will be allowed.

According to the government on the 14th, the current social distancing level (Level 2 in the metropolitan area, Level 1.5 in non-metropolitan areas), which ends on this day, will be extended for two more weeks from the 15th to the 28th. Major quarantine rules such as the ban on private gatherings of five or more people will also be maintained.

However, following the exemption from the ban on gatherings of five or more people for direct family members and sports facilities with facility managers since the 15th of last month, from the 15th, exceptions will also be made for marriage meetings between both families and gatherings accompanied by infants and young children to alleviate public inconvenience due to prolonged distancing.

For gatherings accompanied by infants and young children, children under 6 years old who are not yet in school require constant supervision by a guardian, so exceptions will be allowed for such gatherings. A quarantine official explained, "In the case of a family of four with two infants, they cannot leave the children alone at home, so they would not be able to meet anyone. We made an exception for such cases."

However, this exception applies only to infants and young children, and the number of people excluding infants and young children is limited to four. Even if there are six people, a gathering of four parents with two infants is allowed, but a gathering of four parents with one adolescent and one infant is not allowed.

The government has set a maximum limit of 8 people for gatherings, even for exceptions such as marriage meetings, gatherings with infants and young children, and direct family gatherings. Previously, there was no separate limit on the number of direct family members. Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' quarantine team, explained the reason for the limit, saying, "Even when exceptions apply, too many people gathering can increase the risk of infection, so gatherings are limited to a maximum of 8 people."

On the afternoon of the 12th, staff at a first birthday party specialty venue in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, checked the arrangement of the dol table samples while preparing for next week's operations. This business had not been able to host first birthday party guests for three months since December 19 of last year, in accordance with government quarantine guidelines.
From the 15th, first birthday party specialty venues will also be allowed to operate. The number of attendees must comply with the distancing guidelines for each level, just like weddings and funerals. In the Seoul metropolitan area, where Level 2 quarantine measures are in place, up to 99 people can attend a first birthday party.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Also, doljanchi (first birthday party) specialty stores, which have been practically restricted from operating due to the ban on private gatherings of five or more people, will be allowed to operate.

From the 15th, doljanchi specialty stores with a manager who can oversee quarantine management will be allowed to operate under the condition that they comply with core quarantine rules such as wearing masks and refraining from moving between tables, applying the same level of social distancing stage-based attendance limits as weddings and funerals. Under the Level 2 social distancing standard applied in the metropolitan area, up to 99 people can attend.

Quarantine measures have also been partially adjusted by facility type. Bathhouse businesses in the metropolitan area will have operating hour restrictions added after 10 p.m. Additional quarantine rules have been added. In bathhouses where mask-wearing is difficult, conversations with attendants are prohibited, and masks must be worn in spaces other than the bathing and sweating rooms. Use of sweating rooms such as saunas and jjimjilbang (Korean sauna) facilities is allowed, but users must maintain a minimum distance of 1 meter from each other.

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