From the 17th, '3·6·9'... Social Distancing Extended for 3 Weeks, Gatherings of 6 People, Until 9 PM (Update)

Three-Week Extension of Social Distancing Ahead of Seollal
Some Relaxation in Capacity Limits... Other Measures Maintained

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 14th. The government has finalized social distancing measures to ease the limit on private gatherings to six people for three weeks until the 6th of next month, while maintaining restaurant and cafe operating hours until 9 PM. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] The high-intensity social distancing measures due to the spread of COVID-19 will be extended for three weeks. The limit on the number of people allowed in private gatherings will be eased from 4 to 6 in consideration of the Seollal holiday. However, operating hours restrictions for restaurants and cafes will remain at 9 PM.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum stated at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on the morning of the 14th, "We intend to maintain the current social distancing measures for three weeks." Typically, extensions of social distancing are implemented in two-week increments, but this time it will be applied for three weeks considering the Seollal holiday.

The limit on private gatherings will be somewhat relaxed from 4 to 6 people. Vaccination status of attendees does not matter. Prime Minister Kim said, "We have taken into account the hardships the public is experiencing," but also urged, "Please refrain from visiting hometowns, meeting relatives and family, and gatherings during the Seollal holiday." However, restrictions on operating hours of multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes at 9 PM, as well as quarantine measures for events, assemblies, and religious facilities, will be maintained at the current level.

Although the number of new COVID-19 cases has recently decreased somewhat, raising expectations for easing social distancing, concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant have been reflected. Kwon Deok-cheol, First Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), explained, "Omicron will become the dominant strain over the next three weeks," adding, "It is difficult to respond to quarantine measures as we must also deal with the Delta variant simultaneously."

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