This Lunar New Year is '3·6·9'... Social Distancing Extended 3 Weeks, Gatherings Up to 6 People, Business Hours Until 9 PM (Comprehensive)

Extension of Social Distancing for 3 Weeks Ahead of Seollal
Kim Boo-kyum: "Please Refrain from Visiting Hometown and Gatherings"

Capacity Limit Slightly Eased from 4 to 6 People
"Restricting Private Gatherings Poses Less Risk Than Operating Hour Limits"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] 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 Lunar New Year holiday. However, operating hours restrictions for restaurants and cafes will remain at 9 p.m.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announced at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures 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 Lunar New Year holiday.

The limit on private gatherings will be somewhat eased 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 and meeting or gathering with relatives and family during the Lunar New Year holiday." However, restrictions on operating hours of multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes at 9 p.m., as well as quarantine measures for events, assemblies, and religious facilities, will remain 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 Countermeasures 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 because we also have to deal with the Delta variant." The detection rate of Omicron already soared to 12.5% in the first week of January. It is predicted that Omicron will become the dominant strain around January 21.

The burden of the five-day Lunar New Year holiday from the 29th to the 2nd of next month also played a role. If visits to hometowns and large gatherings of relatives continue, there is a high possibility of chain infections linked to these events. At the previous Recovery Support Committee meeting, local governments reportedly suggested maintaining current measures for three weeks, considering the risk of Omicron spread and resurgence of infections after the Lunar New Year holiday.

Nevertheless, the easing of private gathering limits was decided because limiting private gatherings is considered to pose a lower quarantine risk than restricting operating hours of multi-use facilities. According to COVID-19 spread simulations by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), considering the spread of the Omicron variant, if the time restrictions are maintained and the private gathering limit is increased to 8 people, the number of confirmed cases is expected to be in the low 20,000s by the end of March. However, if the limit is increased to 8 people while simultaneously allowing restaurants and cafes to operate until 10 p.m., a secondary gathering effect would occur, and the number of confirmed cases by the end of March is expected to approach 30,000.

On the second day of the Chuseok holiday last year, the 19th, vehicles were moving slowly on the Gyeongbu Expressway towards Busan near Jamwon IC in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

Meanwhile, the government also announced special quarantine measures for the Lunar New Year holiday on the same day. Deputy Minister Kwon said, "For unavoidable visits home, we recommend that only those who have received the third vaccination dose visit in small groups for a short time," and urged, "If elderly parents have not yet received the third dose, please refrain from visiting home for their safety."

Measures to prevent the spread of infection during travel for the holiday will also be implemented. Only window seats will be sold for train tickets, and ticket reservations will be conducted 100% online. The policy of free tolls on highways during the holiday will not be implemented, and tolls will be collected as usual. Indoor dining at rest areas will be prohibited during the five-day holiday period.

Temporary screening clinics will be additionally installed and operated at highway rest areas such as ▲ Anseong Rest Area on the Gyeongbu Line (Seoul direction), ▲ Icheon Rest Area on the Jungbu Line (Hanam direction), ▲ Yongin Rest Area on the Yeongdong Line (Incheon direction), ▲ Naerincheon Rest Area on the Seoul-Yangyang Line (both directions), ▲ Hoengseong Rest Area on the Yeongdong Line (Gangneung direction), ▲ Baekyangsa Rest Area on the Honam Line (Suncheon direction), ▲ Hampyeongcheonji Rest Area on the Seohaean Line (Mokpo direction), ▲ Gimcheon-Gumi KTX Station, and ▲ an indoor badminton court near Jeonju Express Bus Terminal.

Visits to ancestral graves or parents in hospitals will also be restricted. From the 21st to the 6th of next month, ancestral rites and enshrinement facilities will close ceremonial rooms, and indoor enshrinement facilities and family waiting rooms will operate by advance reservation. Additionally, from the 24th to the 6th of next month, contact visits to nursing hospitals and facilities will be prohibited and operated by advance reservation. However, in urgent cases such as end-of-life situations, contact visits may be allowed at the institution's discretion.

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