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| Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a meeting on the COVID-19 response at the government complex in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap |
By Bahk Eun-ji
The government decided to lower the current Level 2 social distancing measures to Level 1 across the country, effective Monday, as the country's virus situation has been showing signs of abating, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Sunday.
"Over the past two weeks, the number of confirmed cases in Korea has decreased to an average of less than 60 per day, signaling a curbing of the virus' spread," the prime minister said in a regular government COVID-19 response meeting.
"The nation's social distancing level will be adjusted to Level 1, but the quarantine management of high-risk factors such as door-to-door sales will be maintained at Level 2," he said.
By keeping a balance between the sustainability of employment and business and the effectivness of prevention measures, Chung said the government will minimize the possible economic damage caused by suspension of business operations and related facilities.
However, in the Seoul metropolitan area, where the proportion of confirmed cases is still high, some of the Level 2 rules will be maintained, such as mandatory compliance with disease control rules at high-risk facilities and keeping distance in restaurants and cafes.
The government's decision on reforming its social distancing system came as concerns have been growing that the Level 2 guidelines that had been in place for more than a month were causing worsening damage to small- and medium-sized business owners and the self-employed.
Under the Level 1 rules, most daily routines are allowed. The Level 2 guidelines banned indoor gatherings of more than 50, and outdoor gatherings of more than 100, with all sporting events played without spectators. It also suspended the operation of facilities designated as high-risk locations, including nightclubs.
School attendance caps will also increase to two-thirds of capacity in all kindergartens, elementary and middle schools across the country from the current limited one-third. High schools' attendance caps will be maintained at two-thirds.
However, some medical experts suggest that it is still too early to return to Level 1, as the maximum incubation period for the virus after the three-day long weekend for Hangeul Day has not passed yet.
The maximum incubation period for the Chuseok holiday falls on Oct. 18, and from Hangeul Day is Oct. 25. Cases of group infections have already been reported in Incheon, Busan, North Jeolla Province and Daejeon through family meetings during the Chuseok holiday.
"Even if the incubation period of the pathogen is an average of five days, the actual number of confirmed cases will not be reflected until eight to 10 days after the first onset of symptoms and the test results are released," said Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease professor of Korea University Guro Hospital in Seoul.
The first sign is 114 new cases reported on Wednesday, he continued. "There will be more cases by the middle of next week."
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the nation added 58 cases of the coronavirus, including 46 local infections, for Saturday, raising the total caseload to 24,606. Although the daily new cases rose back to three digits of 114 on Wednesday, the number has been under 100 since then.
Of the local infections, 19 cases were reported in Seoul and 18 in Gyeonggi Province. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported one additional case.
The number of newly identified imported cases came to 12, bringing the total of such cases to 3,373. Two additional deaths were reported, raising the death toll to 432, with a fatality rate of 1.76 percent.
Quarantine authorities remain concerned over cases with unidentified transmission routes as the proportion has been staggering at 18 percent to 19 percent for the last two weeks. Among the 995 cases as of Saturday from Sept. 28, 197, or 19.8 percent were grouped as infections with unknown transmission routes, according to the KDCA.
The number of untraceable cases has put a strain on the government's fight against the highly contagious virus, as it indicates that COVID-19 is spreading at a faster-than-expected pace.
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