'Quarantine Misjudgment' Ultimately... 4-Person Limit and 9 PM Curfew Starting This Weekend

Movie theaters and PC rooms allowed until 10 PM
Applied for 16 days until January 2 next year
Loss compensation planned with 'quarantine support fund'
Jung Eun-kyung "If worsens, 20,000 confirmed cases next month"

The spread of COVID-19 and the strengthening of quarantine measures have deepened the worries of self-employed business owners. On the 16th, a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, was quiet.
Photo by Mun Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy reporters Seo So-jeong and Son Seon-hee] From the 18th, the allowed number of private gatherings nationwide will be reduced from the previous 6-8 people to 4 people. Restaurants and cafes, which previously had no operating hour restrictions, will be allowed to operate until 9 PM, while movie theaters and PC rooms will be allowed to operate until 10 PM.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum chaired an emergency Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on COVID-19 at the Government Seoul Office on the morning of the 16th and announced the social distancing adjustment plan with these details. Regarding this, Prime Minister Kim said, "We must suppress the spread as soon as possible through strong social distancing to overcome this critical moment," and emphasized, "The most important thing is to reduce face-to-face contact and minimize the time masks are removed as much as possible."

Accordingly, restaurants and cafes can be used by up to 4 people who have completed vaccination. Unvaccinated individuals can only use the facilities alone or opt for takeout and delivery. Other multi-use facilities will have different operating hours restrictions depending on mask-wearing and whether eating is allowed. High-risk facilities such as entertainment venues, restaurants, cafes, and gyms can be used until 9 PM, while movie theaters, performance halls, and PC rooms can be used until 10 PM. However, exceptions apply to youth entrance exam academies and similar institutions.

This adjustment plan will be applied for 16 days from 0:00 on the 18th until the end of the special quarantine period on January 2 of next year. The government will reassess the quarantine situation within the year to decide whether to extend the measures.

Prime Minister Kim apologized, saying, "I am sorry to the small business owners and self-employed who will have to endure hardship once again," and added, "The government plans to provide more substantial support under the name of ‘quarantine support funds’ to cover direct damages caused by operating hour restrictions as well as practical difficulties arising from the expansion of vaccination proof and negative test confirmation systems (quarantine pass)." He said, "This temporary pause is not a ‘U-turn’ or ‘retreat’ on the path to daily recovery but a necessary speed adjustment according to changing circumstances," and added, "During this pause, the government will strengthen medical response capabilities solidly."

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of 0:00 on this day, there were 7,622 new confirmed cases, approaching 8,000 for the second consecutive day. The number of critically ill patients rose sharply to 989, nearing 1,000. There were 20 additional new infections of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, bringing the total to 148. Jung Eun-kyung, director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated, "If the outbreak worsens, about 10,000 confirmed cases may occur within this month, and up to 20,000 in January next year," and diagnosed, "Regarding critically ill patients, if the outbreak continues, about 1,600 to 1,800 cases may occur in December, and if the outbreak worsens, about 1,800 to 1,900 cases are expected."

Experts pointed out that the strengthened social distancing measures are insufficient to stop the spread of COVID-19. Baek Soon-young, emeritus professor at Catholic University Medical School, argued, "Private gatherings should be restricted to 2 people like in Singapore," and insisted, "For about two weeks, strong social distancing measures that have not been seen before are needed to buy time to secure hospital beds."

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