Seoul Reaches Step 4 Just Below the Threshold... Authorities Say "Only Seoul May Be 'Solely Upgraded'" (Comprehensive)

"Seoul Likely to Enter Level 4 Criteria Tomorrow (9th)"

On the 8th, citizens who visited the screening clinic in Mapo-gu, Seoul, are waiting in line for COVID-19 testing. The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on the same day, 1,275 new confirmed cases were reported, marking the highest number since the COVID-19 outbreak. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] As the number of new confirmed cases in the metropolitan area approached 1,000 on the 8th, the government officially announced the possibility of applying a new Level 4 social distancing measure. Since confirmed cases are concentrated in Seoul within the metropolitan area, the option of raising the level exclusively for Seoul is also under consideration.

Seoul is expected to reach the Level 4 threshold of a weekly average of 389 confirmed cases starting tomorrow (the 9th). If this figure continues for three consecutive days, the criteria for raising to Level 4 will be met. For the entire metropolitan area, the weekly average number of confirmed cases was 691 on this day, which does not meet the threshold of 1,000. However, since other metropolitan areas such as Gyeonggi and Incheon are grouped within the same living area as Seoul, there is also a possibility of raising the level together.

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at the COVID-19 back briefing that “We are monitoring the situation daily through meetings with metropolitan area local governments, keeping in mind the possibility of raising the level in the metropolitan area,” adding, “Seoul is close to the Level 4 criteria, while other metropolitan areas have not yet reached the Level 4 criteria.” He further analyzed, “Looking at Seoul alone, the weekly patient count is in the 380s as of today, and tomorrow will be the first day entering the Level 4 threshold.”

For now, authorities plan to decide on raising the level by comprehensively considering auxiliary indicators such as risk factors in addition to the number of confirmed cases. Son explained, “Rather than mechanically raising the level when the criteria are met arithmetically, we will make decisions by thoroughly reviewing risk factors and auxiliary indicators.”

Even if the entire metropolitan area does not meet the Level 4 criteria, there is still a possibility of raising the level for the entire metropolitan region. Son said, “Confirmed cases are concentrated in Seoul, which is close to the Level 4 criteria, and Incheon is at Level 2,” adding, “However, the high population mobility in the metropolitan area means that if infections spread, there is a strong tendency for it to spread throughout the entire area, which is a concern.”

He continued, “We are discussing with metropolitan area local governments whether to treat the entire metropolitan area as a single unit, and if so, whether to prioritize the 1,000 cases threshold for the entire metropolitan area or consider the urgent situation in Seoul,” indicating that all possibilities are open. This also means it is possible to raise the level exclusively for Seoul first.

Level 4 is the highest stage in the newly reorganized social distancing system. When raised to Level 4, private gatherings become difficult. Under Level 4, gatherings of up to four people are allowed only before 6 p.m., and after that, only two people can meet. Restaurants, cafes, karaoke rooms, movie theaters, shops, marts, and department stores all close by 10 p.m. Clubs and emotional pubs are subject to closure orders.

Authorities expect the recent surge to continue for at least another week. It is said that it will take about a week for the effects of recently strengthened quarantine measures, expanded testing, and enhanced epidemiological investigations to appear. Son said, “Those confirmed today were infected on average 5 to 6 days ago, so it will take about a week to see the effects of blocking gatherings and strengthening patient tracking,” adding, “Rather than waiting, we will monitor the trend of the outbreak during this period and adjust social distancing measures accordingly.”

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