수도권확진 감소유지 시 2.5단계 연장 없을 듯

If daily new cases of coronavirus remain steady throughout the rest of this week, the so called Level 2.5 social distancing measures for Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi could be lifted as planned on Sunday midnight, health authorities said Wednesday.

If those measures are lifted, this would mean that after 9 p.m., coffee shops, bars and restaurants could return to allow customers to eat and drink within their establishments.

The optimistic announcement from the Central Disaster Management Headquarters on Wednesday came a few hours after the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that 156 new Covid 19 patients were detected nationwide on Tuesday, up from 136 the previous day.

It was the 7th day in a row that the daily new cases in Korea stayed below 200.

“We ‘re definitely seeing fewer patients and everyday cases have plunged into the stable range of between 100 and 200,” Mr. Sohn, a headquarters official, said in a press briefing on Wednesday.

If the public continues to focus on social distancing through the weekend, he suggested that a more subdued outbreak might allow the government to allow the expiry of Level 2.5 measures.

In the days ahead, central health authorities will decide whether to allow the Level 2.5 measures to expire or extend them for another week, said Sohn, a call that would hinge on the virus situation in the metropolitan area of Seoul and the rest of the nation.

In the same breath, he warned people not to crowd riverside areas and parks, and urged members of the public to stay home during the upcoming Chuseok holidays, stressing that this year’s “filial duty” was a way not to visit their relatives at all.

Of the 156 people diagnosed with coronavirus on Tuesday, 144 were infected locally, while the rest had been infected abroad, the KCDC said.

By midnight on Tuesday, Korea had counted 21,588 patients with coronavirus in all.

Korea ‘s recent outbreak was primarily caused by two clusters last month, one emanating from the Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk District, central Seoul, and the other from an anti government rally held in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, on Korea’s Aug 15 Liberation Day.

Several right wing groups have announced plans to hold a set of anti Moon Jae in rallies in downtown Seoul on Oct 3 Foundation Day despite government disapproval. Prime Minister Chung Sye kyun warned on Wednesday that if they take to the streets, the organizers will face harsh legal consequences.

• 정부가 오늘(9일) 코로나19 신규 환자 감소세가 유지된다면 수도권에서 시행하고 있는 ‘사회적 거리두기 2.5단계’ 조치를 추가 연장하지 않을 것이라며, 수도권 거리두기 강도와 관련된 결정을 이번 주 내에 하기로 했다.
• 확산의 감소 기미가 보이긴 하지만 ‘사회적 거리두기’를 계속 지켜나갈 것과 추석 명절도 가능한 가족 친지를 방문하는 것을 지양할 것을 당부했다.
• 한편, 최근 재발한 코로나의 확산의 주된 원인은 사랑제일교회와 광화문 집회가 주된 원인으로 꼽히고 있으며, 일부 보수우파 단체가 10월3일 개천절에 반정부 집회를 예고하는 가운데, 정부는 집회 주체측에 위법에 따른 처벌 등의 강력한 경고를 했다.