Confirmed Cases Surge... Authorities Announce "Social Distancing Restructuring to Take Effect from Tomorrow"

A new "social distancing" measure for COVID-19 prevention is scheduled to be implemented from July 1. On the 29th, a notice stating that gatherings of up to six people are allowed from July 1 was posted at the entrance of a restaurant in Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Starting from the 1st of next month, a new social distancing phase accompanied by a large-scale relaxation of quarantine rules, including the easing of restrictions on private gatherings, will be implemented. However, on the 30th, just one day before the revision, the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases approached 800, and the scale of confirmed cases in the metropolitan area is also nearing the criteria for upgrading to level 3. Despite this, the authorities plan to proceed with the introduction of the new distancing system as scheduled. They also added that if the outbreak in the metropolitan area worsens and meets the criteria for raising the level, they will promptly begin adjusting the phase.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters’ quarantine team, stated at the regular briefing of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 30th, "Yesterday, the number of domestic cases in the metropolitan area was 631, accounting for 83.1% of domestic cases," and "Over the past week, an average of 465 cases per day occurred in the metropolitan area." He explained, "We are approaching the level 3 criteria of the new social distancing phase."

In the new social distancing revision to be implemented from the 1st of next month, the key indicator for adjusting the distancing phase is the number of confirmed cases per 100,000 population in the region. Level 1 is applied when cases are less than 1 per 100,000 population, level 2 when cases exceed 1, and level 3 when cases exceed 2. Accordingly, the metropolitan area’s distancing phase criteria are: less than 250 cases for level 1, 250 or more for level 2, and 500 or more for level 3.

On this day, Seoul reported 368 new confirmed cases, the highest this year. The weekly average number of confirmed cases also reached 252.1, far exceeding the new social distancing level 3 upgrade criterion of 195. The total metropolitan area confirmed cases, including Seoul with 368, Gyeonggi with 234, and Incheon with 29, totaled 631, accounting for 83.1%, and the weekly average confirmed cases also reached 464.9, approaching the level 3 upgrade criterion of 500.

The authorities expressed that they are closely monitoring the rapid increase in confirmed cases in the metropolitan area. Yoon emphasized, "Currently, it corresponds to level 2, but if the number of cases continues to occur and exceeds 2 cases per 100,000 population, which corresponds to level 3, we plan to immediately start discussions on raising the distancing phase."

On the 29th, two days before the implementation of the new social distancing measures, citizens are seen walking on the streets of Myeongdong, Seoul. Starting from the 1st of next month, private gatherings of up to 6 people will be allowed in the metropolitan area and Jeju, while up to 8 people will be allowed in non-metropolitan areas. Additionally, entertainment facilities in the metropolitan area will resume operations, and the operating hours of multi-use facilities such as cafes and restaurants will be extended from 10 PM to midnight. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

However, the authorities expressed concerns that the current social distancing revision might be perceived as a complete relaxation of quarantine rules. Yoon said, "Social measures such as social distancing are meant to somewhat guarantee the daily lives of the people by easing restrictions," but added, "On the other hand, I believe that quarantine responses should actually be strengthened." He continued, "It is necessary to strengthen testing, epidemiological investigations, and treatment areas," and added, "By implementing these measures in parallel, we believe it will be necessary to respond accordingly after July."

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Team at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, also explained, "While easing distancing and relaxing quarantine measures may seem contradictory, it can be seen as finding a balance." He emphasized, "The quarantine tension we refer to is to ask people to follow the most basic quarantine rules," and stressed, "When personal quarantine measures such as wearing masks, washing hands, and ventilating indoor spaces are observed, daily life can be guaranteed."

The authorities also emphasized that the lifting of the outdoor mask-wearing mandate for those who have received at least the first dose of the vaccine is not a complete exemption. Son said, "We are concerned that the public might misunderstand, so we ask for caution," and added, "Even for those who have received at least the first dose, mask-wearing outdoors is not entirely exempt."

He elaborated, "At outdoor events, gatherings, sports viewing, and amusement park visits, mask-wearing is mandatory even for first-dose recipients and subject to fines," and explained, "As a general principle, mask-wearing remains mandatory in crowded outdoor spaces where many people gather, and the mandate is lifted only in outdoor spaces that are uncrowded and isolated for first-dose recipients, which is a more accurate description."

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