South Korea yesterday imposed stricter social-distancing measures, including a ban on gatherings at high-risk venues such as karaoke bars, as a nation that was lauded for its initial COVID-19 containment strategy faces one of its worst resurgences.
The social-distancing alert for the greater Seoul area was raised to 2.5 from 2, South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said.
All gatherings of more than 50 people have been banned, and restaurants would continue to be prohibited from serving customers after 9pm and can offer only takeouts and deliveries.
Photo: AFP
In addition, no spectators will be allowed at sporting events.
“We are facing the biggest crisis in our fight against COVID-19,” Chung said at a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures meeting in Seoul City Hall.
“The situation in the greater Seoul area is serious,” he said. “The 2.5 level will be maintained for the next three weeks until the end of the year.”
The measures would be effective from tomorrow, South Korean Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo said at a briefing after the meeting.
“We earnestly request our people’s full cooperation,” Park said.
The government would “do everything we can to curb the virus,” he added.
South Korea yesterday confirmed 631 cases, the highest in nine months, while total deaths rose by five to 545, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said.
Yesterday’s figures take the total number of cases in the country to more than 37,000.
The greater Seoul area — which covers the capital, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province — is home to almost half of South Korea’s population, and Chung acknowledged the disruption that the latest move would cause.
“The measure would bring both economic and psychological stress to small business owners,” the prime minister said. “But we must curb the infection numbers now, if we want to have our ordinary lives back as early as possible.”
The uptick in cases comes after the social-distancing level greater Seoul was raised to 2 from 1.5 just two weeks ago, limiting restaurant hours and gatherings.
The central government would discuss whether to add more measures after monitoring the current spread of the virus. A shift to level 3 would result in a suspension on gatherings of more than 10 and all sporting events.
Additional reporting by AFP
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