"Omicron Fear" Leads to Reduced Gathering Limits Again... 6 People in Capital Area, 8 People in Non-Capital Areas (Update)

COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office Building on December 3, 2021. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] Starting next week, the allowed number of private gatherings will be reduced again to a maximum of 6 people in the Seoul metropolitan area and 8 people in non-metropolitan areas for four weeks. The government, which had insisted there would be "no retreat" from the difficult step-by-step recovery of daily life, has finally pulled out the card of strengthening quarantine measures as the recent surge in cases was followed by the fear of the Omicron variant.

The scope of the quarantine pass will also be expanded to most multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes. However, a one-week grace period will be provided to ensure smooth implementation on the ground.

However, due to opposition from small business owners and self-employed individuals, the government decided to keep business hours restrictions unchanged.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum chaired the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting at the Government Complex Seoul on the morning of the 3rd and announced these strengthened quarantine measures. Prime Minister Kim said, "We will focus on filling the gaps that emerged during the step-by-step recovery of daily life and firmly reinforcing the quarantine barriers over the next four weeks," adding, "In particular, we aim to reduce gatherings, contacts, and movements that may increase during the year-end."

Regarding the recent increase in the proportion of new COVID-19 cases among youths aged 18 and under, Prime Minister Kim stated, "We can no longer delay vaccination for youths," and added, "Considering the two-month period for youths to get vaccinated and develop antibodies, starting from February next year, the quarantine pass will be applied to most facilities frequented by youths."

Additionally, he urged the elderly to receive booster shots, saying, "For seniors who have not completed their third dose, please refrain from outdoor activities as much as possible for your own safety."

Prime Minister Kim also requested workplaces related to companies to "strictly adhere to quarantine rules by industry and sector, and to utilize remote work as much as possible until the end of the year to reduce the risk of infection spread even slightly."

The government plans to designate the next month as a "Special Quarantine Inspection Period." Prime Minister Kim urged, "All ministries should, with a strong sense of urgency and led by their heads, frequently inspect the quarantine status of their respective fields and facilities on-site and actively take corrective measures," emphasizing, "Please consider that if we fail to block the spread during this period, we will have no choice but to halt the precious path to daily life recovery that has come to the people after a long time."

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