Prime Minister Kim Bu-gyeom. [사진 출처 = 연합뉴스]The government has decided to expand the number of private gatherings from 8 to 10 people for two weeks from the 4th to the 17th, and to extend the business hours of multi-use facilities from 11pm to 12pm. In addition, if the spread of COVID-19 turns down following the end of this social distancing measure, we plan to consider lifting all quarantine guidelines except for key rules such as wearing a mask indoors.
On the 1st, Prime Minister Kim Bu-gyeom said, “In light of concerns regarding an increase in the number of severe cases and deaths that will occur over time, the influence of the dominant stealth Omicron (BA2), and risk factors such as demand for spring resorts, we decided to make partial adjustments rather than full release for now. “If the medical system is managed stably while reducing the number of severe cases and deaths, we will boldly reorganize the remaining quarantine measures such as social distancing,” he said.
The government currently sets the wearing of masks indoors and outdoors as the most basic means of quarantine, but if social distancing ends on the 18th, it is highly likely that the obligation to wear an outdoor mask will disappear. This means that it will enter the endemic phase following 757 days since March 22, 2020.
However, the government explained that it decided to gradual easing as it was judged that full easing is still dangerous, such as an increase in hospital bed utilization rates and an increase in patients with severe cases.
The number of private gatherings will increase from the current 8 to 10, regardless of whether or not they are vaccinated, and the time limit for using multiple facilities will be relaxed by one hour from 11pm to 12pm. These measures will be implemented for two weeks from the 4th to the 17th. Other quarantine measures are the same as before. Regardless of inoculation or not, events and gatherings are possible up to 299 people, and religious activities are possible within 70% of the capacity.
The number of confirmed cases has been gradually decreasing following peaking, but the number of cases of severe disease is maintaining four digits. The number of deaths is also increasing day by day. The weekly death toll rose from 541 in the fourth week of February to 2,516 in the fourth week of March and a month later.
The capacity of the medical system is gradually decreasing, with the utilization rate of intensive care beds also increasing, approaching 70%. BA2, which has strong contagious power, has already become the dominant species, with 5-6 out of 10 confirmed cases in Korea being infected with the sub-mutant BA2 of Omicron.
On this day, the central government decided to stop paying for funeral support, which had been paid 10 million won per person who died of COVID-19. As of 00:00 on the same day, there were 28,273 new confirmed cases, a decrease of 59,201 from the 25th of last month. The death toll stood at 360. The number of critically ill people was 1,299, and the number has been hovering around 1,300 for six days in a row.
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