Step 4 Direct Transition... 'Corona Confinement' Has Begun

On This Day, 1,316 People Set a New Record Again
Strict Level 4 Measures Enforced from the 12th to 24th for Two Weeks
No Gatherings of 3 or More After 6 PM
Nighttime Outings Restricted... Various Events Also 'Stopped'

Quiet streets of Hongdae amid the resurgence of COVID-19. Not directly related to the article.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Starting next week, evening gatherings will be difficult in the Seoul metropolitan area for two weeks. Even those vaccinated against COVID-19 can only meet in groups of up to two people after 6 p.m. All multi-use facilities such as restaurants, cafes, and academies can operate only until 10 p.m., and entertainment venues will be completely closed.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) held an emergency meeting at the Government Seoul Office on the 9th and decided to apply the new Level 4 social distancing measures to the Seoul metropolitan area (Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, except for Ganghwa and Ongjin counties in Incheon). The Level 4 distancing measures will be in effect for two weeks from the 12th to the 25th. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum stated, "With daily COVID-19 cases breaking records continuously, the quarantine system is facing its greatest crisis," adding, "We decided to apply Level 4 distancing in the metropolitan area based on the judgment that bold decisions and swift implementation are the only answers."

Under Level 4, nighttime outings are effectively restricted. During the daytime, gatherings of up to four people are allowed under the 'ban on private gatherings of five or more,' but after 6 p.m., the quarantine measures are strengthened to a 'ban on gatherings of three or more.' Essential activities such as commuting to work are permitted, but people are urged to refrain from gatherings and avoid going out as much as possible after work. Additionally, all entertainment facilities are subject to a ban on gatherings. As an additional quarantine measure beyond Level 4, incentives such as exemptions for vaccinated individuals from private gathering limits will be suspended.

Schools will switch entirely to remote learning, but considering preparation time, this will take effect from the 14th. Workplaces, except for manufacturing, are recommended to implement 30% telecommuting and staggered working hours.

The government's decision to immediately raise the social distancing level by two steps upon introducing the new system in the metropolitan area reflects concerns over the severity of the outbreak. In particular, the preemptive upgrade despite not yet meeting the Level 4 criteria indicates the seriousness with which the recent situation is being viewed. President Moon Jae-in has ordered a special metropolitan quarantine inspection meeting. The inspection meeting, scheduled for the 12th, will be attended by the metropolitan area’s local government heads?Seoul Mayor, Gyeonggi Governor, Incheon Mayor?as well as the Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior and Safety, Minister of Health and Welfare, Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, and Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

New domestic COVID-19 cases have been breaking records daily. As of midnight on this day, 1,316 new cases were added. Of these, 1,236 were locally transmitted and 80 were imported. A total of 963 cases were concentrated in the metropolitan area. The average daily local cases in the metropolitan area over the past week were 740.9, which is still below the Level 4 threshold (weekly average of 1,000). However, Seoul (with a weekly daily average of 410) has reached the Level 4 criteria as of this day. Jeong Eun-kyeong, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, warned the day before, "If the current situation worsens, daily cases could exceed 2,000 by the end of July," indicating that the upward trend in cases may continue.

Concerns are also growing in non-metropolitan areas. On this day, non-metropolitan cases accounted for 22.1% of the total new cases, rising to the 20% range for the first time in ten days. Busan, which raised its distancing level to 2 the day before, reported 53 new cases, and 51 cases emerged amid a cluster outbreak at the Nonsan Training Center in Chungnam. Nine non-metropolitan regions recorded double-digit cases: Jeju (30), Daejeon (28), Gangwon (23), Gyeongnam (17), Ulsan and Daegu (16), and Chungbuk (13). Prime Minister Kim urged local governments outside the metropolitan area to actively consider preemptive quarantine strengthening measures, including adjusting distancing levels.

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