Capital Region Social Distancing Level 4 Extended for 2 Weeks... Amateur Baseball and Early Soccer Banned for 2 Weeks (Update)

On the 23rd, as the spread of COVID-19 shows no signs of slowing down, citizens are lining up for testing at a screening clinic set up at the Gwanak-gu Public Health Center in Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The fourth level of 'social distancing' applied in the Seoul metropolitan area will be extended for an additional two weeks until the 8th of next month. Games such as amateur baseball and early soccer, which were exceptions to the private gathering restrictions, will be banned, and the mandatory management of entry logs at department stores is being actively considered. On the other hand, for weddings and funerals, which have faced significant complaints, the current ban on gatherings of 50 or more will be maintained, but attendance by friends and coworkers outside of relatives will be allowed.

Lee Ki-il, the 1st Controller of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare), announced at the COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters regular briefing on the 23rd, "From the 26th of this month to the 8th of next month, the level 4 social distancing measures in the metropolitan area will be extended for two weeks." The areas of Ganghwa and Ongjin counties in Incheon, where level 2 is currently applied despite being part of the metropolitan area, will continue to maintain level 2.

Controller Lee evaluated, "The spread of the epidemic in the metropolitan area has somewhat slowed down and is showing signs of stagnation," but added, "It is still difficult to say that it has reversed into a declining trend." He explained the reason for the extension, saying, "To firmly turn the increase in the metropolitan area's epidemic into a declining trend and stabilize it, it is very difficult to ease the current quarantine level. After gathering various opinions through the Living Quarantine Committee, which includes local governments, related ministries, and several experts, the majority agreed that it is necessary to extend the social distancing level under the current quarantine situation."

He continued, "The goal of this extension is to reverse the upward trend of the epidemic in the metropolitan area and to stably reduce the number of cases within the level 3 criteria. If this goal is not achieved within two weeks, we will consider stronger quarantine measures such as banning gatherings at facilities and strengthening operating hour restrictions," he added.

On the 21st, the food alley near Ewha Womans University in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul is quiet. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

In addition to the extension of social distancing, the quarantine authorities decided to strengthen quarantine measures further for facilities and events that have raised some fairness concerns or pose high quarantine risks during the implementation of level 4.

Under the current new social distancing rules, for sports games requiring a minimum number of participants such as baseball and soccer, private gatherings for games are allowed up to 1.5 times the minimum number of participants (27 for baseball, 33 for soccer) only at private sports venues with quarantine managers.

However, considering the nature of large gatherings, it was judged that this does not align with the purpose of level 4, which is to refrain from meetings, outings, and movement and to minimize social contact. Therefore, exceptions to the private gathering limits will no longer be recognized. From the 26th to the 8th of next month, amateur baseball and early soccer games will effectively be banned.

Additionally, workshops and meetings, which were exceptions to private gathering restrictions as they were recognized as essential for official and corporate management, will be banned if they involve overnight stays. Also, the mandatory management of entry logs such as safe call and QR codes, which is currently not mandatory in large retail stores like department stores due to congestion concerns, is being actively considered.

Exhibitions and fairs will require all on-site staff to undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and only visitors who have made prior reservations will be allowed entry. Academic events other than international conferences regulated under the 'International Conference Industry Act' will also be limited to gatherings of fewer than 50 people.

On the other hand, the regulation allowing up to 49 family and relatives to attend weddings and funerals, which has caused significant inconvenience to daily life, will be expanded in scope. The maximum attendance of 49 will be maintained, but attendance restrictions on friends and coworkers outside of relatives will be lifted.

All these changed quarantine measures will be applied from the 26th, when the current social distancing phase ends and the extended measures take effect. Therefore, amateur baseball games held this weekend on the 24th and 25th will be possible, and weddings will still not allow attendance beyond relatives.

Quarantine authorities are also discussing applying high-intensity quarantine measures to non-metropolitan areas. Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, explained, "We are preparing measures for non-metropolitan areas as well. Many local governments have also suggested uniformly applying level 3 to non-metropolitan areas, and discussions are ongoing." The results of these discussions are expected to be announced as early as the 25th.

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