"After the Peak Misjudgment" ... Slight Relaxation to '8 People Gatherings · Until 11 PM'

Government to Implement New Social Distancing Measures Starting from the 21st

On the 18th, attendees of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting at the Seoul Situation Center in the Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room of the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, listened to remarks by Kwon Deok-cheol, the 1st Deputy Head of CDSCH (Minister of Health and Welfare), via video. The government decided to increase the current private gathering limit from 6 to 8 people starting from the 21st. The business restriction time of 11 PM will remain unchanged. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The government will expand the current private gathering limit from 6 to 8 people starting from the 21st. The operating hours restriction for multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes, currently until 11 PM, will be maintained. With 429 deaths reported on the 17th and 301 deaths reported on the 18th due to COVID-19, criticism is rising that the government's easing of quarantine measures is causing public confusion and giving the impression that it has effectively abandoned quarantine efforts.

Kwon Deok-cheol, the first deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), announced at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on the 18th that "from the 21st, the private gathering limit under social distancing will be adjusted from 6 to 8 people."

As the Omicron wave in the country approaches its peak, the government gathered opinions on easing social distancing from the Recovery Support Committee and local governments starting from the 16th. Initially, discussions leaned toward easing the current social distancing rules from "6 people and operating hours until 11 PM" to "8 people and until midnight." However, when new cases exceeded 620,000 and deaths surpassed 400 on the 17th, a minimal adjustment plan was agreed upon to only increase the allowed number of people in gatherings while maintaining the operating hours restriction.

Deputy Head Kwon acknowledged the seriousness, stating, "Considering the Omicron surge, the burden on the medical response system, and the uncertainty in predicting the peak of the wave, there are significant concerns about substantially easing social distancing."

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