Should Restaurants and Cafes Extend Operating Hours Until Midnight?

Final 'Social Distancing Adjustment Plan' Announced on 15th
8 People Allowed for Private Gatherings in the Capital Area
Reviewing Expansion of Incentives for Vaccinated Individuals
Step-by-Step Return to Normal Life Expected on July 7-8

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is delivering opening remarks at the 1st COVID-19 Recovery Support Committee meeting held at the annex of the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 13th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The government will announce the final adjustment plan for 'social distancing' before the phased recovery of daily life (With Corona) on the 15th and will expand vaccination incentives. As the goal of '70% of the population completing vaccination' by the end of this month is expected to be smoothly achieved, quarantine measures for those who have completed vaccination are likely to be somewhat relaxed. In the metropolitan area, discussions are underway to increase the number of private gatherings to 8 people and extend the operating hours of restaurants and cafes until midnight.

According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team on the 13th, 104,897 people received their first dose the previous day, bringing the total number of first-dose recipients to 40,125,204. Among them, 594,230 people completed their vaccination, making the total number of fully vaccinated people 31,208,900. The first-dose vaccination rate against the population was 78.1%, and the full vaccination rate was 60.8%.

With the recent acceleration of second-dose vaccinations, there is a possibility that the achievement of the 70% full vaccination rate, which is the criterion for transitioning the quarantine system, may be reached earlier than the expected time at the end of this month. On the 7th, at the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's audit, Jeong Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated that the 70% full vaccination rate could be achieved during the week of the 25th of this month, and considering the two-week antibody formation period, the phased recovery of daily life could be considered starting around the 9th of next month.

'Nationwide 70% Full Vaccination' Early Achievement Possible... Expansion of Benefits for Fully Vaccinated Individuals

On the 12th, additional vaccinations (booster shots) began for COVID-19 treatment hospital workers who had completed their primary vaccination series more than six months ago. Treatment hospital workers are receiving vaccine shots at the Central Vaccination Center of the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

However, as the full vaccination rate has recently risen rapidly, opinions are emerging that the start of daily life recovery should be brought forward. If the target is achieved around the 23rd, considering the antibody formation period, the phased recovery measures will be fully implemented around the 7th to 8th of next month.

Accordingly, the social distancing adjustment plan to be announced on the 15th is also expected to undergo some changes. Initially, the government placed emphasis on not including expansions of private gathering numbers or easing of operating hour restrictions in this adjustment, as it was the last adjustment before the full-scale phased recovery of daily life starting early next month. However, with the increase in the full vaccination rate and a slight decrease in new confirmed cases, cautious consideration is being given to partially easing the current social distancing measures of 'Level 4 in the metropolitan area and Level 3 in non-metropolitan areas.'

As a plan to expand vaccination incentives, there is talk of increasing the limit on private gatherings in the metropolitan area, which is currently restricted to a maximum of 6 people including fully vaccinated individuals, to 8 people, and extending the operating hours of restaurants and cafes by 2 hours from the current 10 PM to midnight.

The government has so far presented social distancing adjustment plans every two weeks, and the current measures that started on the 4th will end on the 17th. The new social distancing system to be applied from the 18th is expected to be in place for more than three weeks as it is the last adjustment before transitioning to the phased recovery system. However, if the overall schedule is advanced, it may be applied for less than three weeks.

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, said, "We will prioritize the vaccination rate the most while reviewing the current quarantine situation and the available capacity of the medical system to decide the timing, content, and level of the phased recovery of daily life." He added, "In this social distancing announcement, we plan to focus on reviewing measures to expand incentives centered on vaccinated individuals."

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