<Anchor> The



government has reduced the number of people allowed to meet, but the store's business hours have not been restricted as before. In addition, the time to apply the quarantine pass to teenagers has been postponed to February next year, and some say that the quarantine measures are weaker than the 4th stage of distancing.



Reporter Kim Deok-hyun pointed out whether this measure could be effective.



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main reason the government has reduced the number of private gatherings again is that community transmission is serious.



In particular, one out of three confirmed cases is an elderly person over the age of 60, and most of them were infected through small-scale contact.



Both the metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas reduced the number of people allowed for meetings by four, but the business hours remained the same.



Entertainment facilities remain open until midnight, and the rest of the industry remains open 24 hours.



It is argued that the scale of the epidemic is much larger than when the fourth stage of distancing was implemented, but the quarantine is weaker.



[Eom Joong-sik/Professor of Infectious Diseases, Gachon University Gil Hospital: It is weaker than the 4-step distancing when 1,500 to 2,000 people come out. At the current level of 4,000 and 5,000 people, I think it is very difficult to respond with this intensity.]



The lack of measures to strengthen quarantine for entertainment facilities is also a factor of concern.



Although business is restricted until midnight, if the number of users increases during the year-end and New Year holidays, it can lead to group infection at any time.



For this reason, there are also pessimists that it may not be easy to return to normal life until next spring.



[Kim Yun/Professor of Medical Management, Seoul National University College of Medicine: The fourth wave has passed for about four months.

Wouldn't it be a situation where we have to keep distancing until the cycle of infection subsides until March of next year?] It



is also controversial that the application of the quarantine pass for 12-18 years old was delayed until February next year.



Due to concerns about side effects of vaccination, the vaccination rate for those under the age of 17 is less than 30%, and when the winter vacation begins at the end of this month, the risk of infection may increase in public schools and PC rooms where students frequently visit.



(Video coverage: Jeong Seong-hwa, video editing: Park Ji-in)