If Daily Cases Stay Above 500, Will Social Distancing Return to Level 2.5?…Adjustment Plan to Be Announced on the 9th

"Must Reduce to Around 300-400 People per Day"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The government will announce the adjustment plan for social distancing levels, which will be applied from next week, on the 9th. Amid rising concerns about the 4th wave as daily confirmed cases reached the 500s over the past weekend, health authorities are deliberating whether to raise the level, emphasizing that "it is important to reduce the number to the 300-400 range."

On the 5th, Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH), stated at a COVID-19 briefing, "We will hold the Living Prevention Committee meeting on the 7th and announce the social distancing levels to be applied from next week on the 9th."

With daily new confirmed cases remaining in the 500s for five consecutive days until last weekend, attention is focused on whether to raise social distancing levels. The current social distancing measures are Level 2 in the metropolitan area and Level 1.5 in non-metropolitan areas. However, due to the recent rapid spread in some non-metropolitan regions, the need to raise the distancing level has been raised. In Busan, Level 2 social distancing is already in effect.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the CDSCH's quarantine control division, said, "In addition to strengthening some quarantine guidelines, discussions will also be held on raising the overall level. It is difficult to give a conclusion at this time, but we will discuss it considering the increase since last week and the situation this week."

Yoon added, "It is difficult to present specific criteria for strengthening quarantine measures. However, if the number remains in the 500s, it could rise to 500-600, so it is important to reduce it to the previous level and maintain it at around 300-400."

Health authorities analyzed that the patterns of spread differ somewhat between the metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. In non-metropolitan areas, where the spread is more pronounced, cluster infections have a significant impact, so efforts will focus on identifying transmitters through epidemiological investigations. Yoon explained, "In the metropolitan area, 60-70% of infections are non-cluster infections, whereas in non-metropolitan areas, 60-70% are cluster infections. In Busan, infections center around entertainment facilities, while in other regions, nursing homes and church-related infections are predominant." He added, "If the impact of cluster infections is not firmly controlled, it can lead to infections through individual contact, so it is important to identify confirmed cases through thorough epidemiological investigations."

Regarding the recent mass infection cases centered on entertainment facilities not only in non-metropolitan areas but also in the metropolitan area, Son emphasized, "Two cases in Gangnam, Seoul, and Busan caused significant infections. During this process, violations of electronic entry logs and quarantine rules have been continuously confirmed, so we have announced plans to strengthen enforcement. Violating establishments will be strictly punished, and if multiple violations of quarantine rules occur, a ban on gatherings may also be considered."

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