The business hours limit for restaurants and cafes will be extended from 9 pm to 10 pm by one hour.



The limit of the number of people in private meetings is maintained at 'maximum 6 people'.



Prime Minister Kim Bu-gyeom held a meeting of the Corona 19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at the government complex in Seoul today (18th) and said, "Considering the deepening difficulties of the economy, the reorganized quarantine and medical system is at a level that can handle it, and minimal adjustment is inevitable." I made a decision,” he said.



This distance adjustment plan will be applied for about three weeks from tomorrow to the 13th of the following month.



The new social distancing, which was normally applied from Monday, will come into effect on Saturday.



Prime Minister Kim explained, "It is to give people a breath of life first, even for a day, and to have time to fully observe the situation."




Prime Minister Kim also announced that the youth quarantine pass, which was scheduled to be applied from the 1st of next month, will be delayed by one month and will be implemented from April 1.



Regarding whether to maintain the quarantine pass, he said, "We have decided to comprehensively check the acceptability of the site and changes in the quarantine situation, and adjust the scope of application later and announce it."



Prime Minister Kim said, "Like other countries, I think we have reached a stage where we have to go through at least once," said Prime Minister Kim, as the spread of COVID-19 is intensifying, with the number of daily confirmed cases exceeding 100,000.



"Until the third dose reached a certain level, the spread of Omicron was prevented as much as possible," he said. I expect it to hit a climax.”



“According to experts, it is expected that the peak will pass between the end of February and mid-March,” he said. I promise to let you go."



Regarding the continued sacrifice of small business owners and the self-employed as the main framework of social distancing is maintained, Prime Minister Kim said, "We are actively considering extending the maturity date of loans to small business owners and self-employed people, which ends at the end of March, and extending the deadline for deferred payment of principal and interest. "We will prepare customized financial support measures by analyzing the business and financial situation of the self-employed," he said.



In addition, he re-encouraged the vaccination, saying, "Among those who are not vaccinated, who make up only 6% of the population over the age of 12, more than 60% of all severe cases and deaths are occurring.



(Photo = Yonhap News)