Authorities "Will Monitor Capital Region Situation Until Weekend to Decide on Extension of New Social Distancing Grace Period" (Update)

Discussing with Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon Local Governments Early Next Week for Decision

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The government plans to reassess the timing for implementing the new 'social distancing' measures while reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the Seoul metropolitan area this week.

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH), stated at a briefing on the 1st, "We will monitor the COVID-19 situation through this weekend and discuss with local governments in the metropolitan area and the CDSCH from early next week."

Son explained, "It is important how local governments in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon respond to quarantine measures," adding, "Before the one-week grace period for the new distancing measures ends on the 8th, we will discuss with the relevant local governments early next week to decide whether to extend the grace period."

Earlier, local governments in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon, urgently decided to postpone the implementation of the new social distancing system by one week, just eight hours before it was set to take effect.

Regarding the background of the urgent decision, Son said, "Until the morning of the previous day, the CDSCH had agreed to apply the new distancing measures first and escalate to level 3 if COVID-19 cases increased, but that afternoon, Seoul City urgently requested a one-week postponement. Gyeonggi Province and Incheon City also made emergency decisions based on Seoul's situation."

He added, "We respected the autonomous judgment of local governments as much as possible, and neither the CDSCH nor the Central Disease Control Headquarters opposed the decision and accepted it."

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