Extend the distance by two more weeks… 5-person meetings are not allowed, but up to 8 people in direct line are allowed.

The government has decided to extend core quarantine measures for another two weeks, such as the current social distancing step, which is scheduled to end on the 14th, and banning meetings with more than 5 people. However, in the case of direct family gathering, the conclusion was to allow up to 8 people. In addition, the restrictions on business hours of entertainment facilities in the non-metropolitan area were also lifted.

At a regular briefing held on the morning of the 12th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said, “The 2nd phase of the metropolitan area and the 1.5th phase of the non-metropolitan area, which are currently applied, will be maintained for 2 weeks until March 28.” We will also maintain the ban on private gatherings with more than 5 people.”

Tae-ho Yoon, head of quarantine prevention at the Central Accident Recovery Headquarters (Heungsu-bon), said, “The non-metropolitan area is relatively stable with 100 patients occurring a day. It is a high risk situation,” he said. “As a result of extensive gathering of opinions from related ministries, local governments, and various experts, there were many opinions that it is necessary to maintain the current distance and quarantine system in order to proceed smoothly and prevent the 4th outbreak.” He explained.

According to the script, the average number of domestic patients per day for the past 6-12 days a week was 418. Since the third week of last January, there have been an outbreak of 300 to 400 new patients nationwide for eight consecutive weeks. This number corresponds to the standard of 2.5 steps of distancing, such as’over 400 to 500 people nationwide’ or’when there is a rapid increase in patients such as doubling’.

However, the quarantine authorities have not yet raised the stage of distancing because they have determined that the Corona 19 situation is’congested’. At the same time, the number of exceptions that do not fall under the ban on private gatherings for more than 5 people has been increased. It is a meeting where marriage is discussed. The number of people is limited to 8 people. You can also meet up to 8 people with immediate family members.

Unlike weddings and funerals, stores specializing in first-birthday parties that were banned for more than 5 people could also be operated in the future. Up to 99 people can attend in the Seoul metropolitan area, which is the second stage of distancing. In addition, the government decided to release the restrictions on business hours for entertainment facilities in the non-capital area, which was until 10 pm.

In particular, the script will be set as a special countermeasure period for two weeks to intensively check the quarantine status of multi-use facilities and workplaces with concentrated foreign workers. General Manager Yoon said, “Recently in the metropolitan area, the area where group infections have occurred (of all infections) accounts for a large proportion.” “Currently, preemptive inspections are being conducted mainly at workplaces, and total inspections of foreign workers are expanded. “We are making efforts to detect and block hidden patients early,” he added.

Meanwhile, the social distancing reorganization plan is expected to be completed next week. The reorganization plan is for the purpose of quarantine measures in the first half of this year, and the quarantine authorities plan to create and apply new quarantine measures in accordance with the situation in which vaccinations take place in the second half. The timing of application has not been decided yet. Sohn Young-rae, head of social strategy group Jung Soo-bon, said at a reporter briefing held online on the 11th, “The reorganization plan should be implemented in a situation where all regions have fallen within the first stage (based on the reorganization plan).”

The first stage of the distancing reform plan is when the weekly average number of confirmed patients is less than 0.7 per 100,000 people, and the number of new patients per day is less than 363 nationwide and less than 181 people in the metropolitan area. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 467 new patients occurred in Korea and 324 patients in the metropolitan area as of 0:00 on the 12th, which is the second stage of the reorganization plan.

“The reorganization of social distancing was focused on quarantine response in the first half of this year,” said Sohn, head of Strategic Division. It is” he said.

Reporter Lee Tae-yoon [email protected]