On the 5th, the government held a public hearing on the “Reorganization of Social Distancing” and disclosed a draft reorganization plan that minimizes business restrictions for each facility and strengthens regulations on individual behavior. The new distance reorganization plan, which was compressed from the previous five stages, consisted of stage 1 (observance of living protection), stage 2 (restriction of personnel per facility), stage 3 (prohibition of private gatherings), and stage 4 (prohibition of going out).
The standards for step-by-step upgrade will also be greatly relaxed compared to the previous one. For example, the requirement for the highest level of upgrade is raised from the current weekly average of 800 to 1,000 daily confirmed cases to about 1,500 incidences (three per 100,000 population). It is based on the judgment that medical capabilities such as the expansion of hospital beds and life treatment centers for severely ill patients have been further expanded while minimizing the impact on the economy such as self-employment.
Instead of minimizing business restrictions, restrictions on the number of private meetings are strengthened. Sohn Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division, Central Accident Control Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, “By strengthening the management of personal activities, private meetings are allowed for up to 8 people in the 2nd stage, 4 in the 3rd stage, and 2 after 18:00 in the 4th stage. “There is an added measure to allow meetings only until now.”
The fact that only two people are allowed after 18:00 is a message that they will not be allowed to go out after work.
The ban on grouping is virtually eliminated. Even in the case of the 4th stage upgrade, grouping is prohibited only for 3 types of entertainment facilities with a lot of mobility, such as clubs, hunting pots, and emotional pubs. It is also open until 9 pm.
In the current distancing system, it is different from the fact that significant facilities had to be forcibly closed from the second stage of upgrade. The quarantine authorities are planning to present a final reorganization plan within this month, reflecting the opinions from various fields gathered at the public hearing that day.
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