Private gathering limit eased from 6 to 8 people... Business hours extended until 11 PM

CDCHQ Announces Minor Adjustments to Social Distancing Measures Effective on the 21st

On the 17th, when the number of new COVID-19 cases exceeded 600,000 for the first time, citizens lined up for testing at the screening clinic of Songpa-gu Public Health Center in Seoul. According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on that day, the number of new confirmed cases was counted at 621,328. There were 1,159 critically ill patients and 429 deaths. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The government has decided to expand the current private gathering limit from 6 to 8 people starting from the 21st. The current operating hours restriction for multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes, which is until 11 PM, will continue to be maintained.

Kwon Deok-cheol, 1st Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), stated in his opening remarks at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held at the Government Complex Sejong on the 18th, "From the 21st, the private gathering limit under social distancing will be adjusted from 6 to 8 people."

Deputy Head Kwon said, "Although it is time to newly adjust social distancing measures after the past two weeks, considering the Omicron surge, the burden on the medical response system, and the uncertainty in predicting the peak of the outbreak, there are significant concerns about easing distancing measures drastically."

As of midnight on the same day, the number of new confirmed cases exceeded 400,000, and the number of deaths was 301.

Deputy Head Kwon expressed concern, saying, "The nationwide COVID-19 critical care bed occupancy rate is rapidly increasing to 66.5%, and regionally, some areas have reached an occupancy rate of 90%, indicating saturation."

He further explained, "After intense discussions, it was concluded to make only a slight adjustment in the number of people allowed, considering the livelihood difficulties of self-employed and small business owners and the inconvenience to the public in their daily lives."

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