Prime Minister Kim: "Capital area to enter social distancing level 2 from next month... 6-person gatherings allowed for 2 weeks"

COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting on COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office on the 27th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said on the 27th, "The metropolitan area, where more than 70% of recent confirmed cases are concentrated, will apply the second phase of the reorganization plan (starting in July), but private gatherings will be limited to six people for two weeks, and assemblies will be restricted to fewer than 50 people to suppress the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible."

On the same day, Prime Minister Kim chaired the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting at the Government Seoul Office and announced this regarding the newly applied social distancing reorganization plan starting next month. He added, "Areas outside the metropolitan area will apply the first phase, but during the two-week implementation period, strengthened quarantine measures will be implemented according to the local situation." He also said, "In Jeju, which attracts many tourists, private gatherings will be limited to six people for two weeks." Furthermore, he stated, "In Gwangju, if confirmed cases occur due to violations of quarantine rules at major multi-use facilities, business operations will be suspended for three weeks," and "In Gangwon Province, small gatherings, meals, and overnight stays at religious facilities are prohibited."

Regarding concerns from some quarters that it is still too early to reorganize social distancing as the average daily number of confirmed cases exceeded 500 again last week, Prime Minister Kim said, "We have been proceeding with the reorganization of social distancing cautiously," and "We plan to emphasize the practice of basic quarantine rules while conducting special inspections of the quarantine situation on the ground during the two-week implementation period." He continued, "We will strengthen management by designating additional countries with variant viruses and actively block their entry into the country."

Prime Minister Kim said, "The period until mid-July, before the first vaccination dose is fully underway again, will be the biggest challenge for quarantine," and urged, "Please refrain from large gatherings or dinners, and even if you have been vaccinated, please wear masks not only indoors but also outdoors in places where many people gather, such as stadiums, markets, and amusement parks."

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