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Our lives are changing again because of Corona. From the day after tomorrow (18th), that is, after 12 pm tomorrow night, you can only gather up to 4 people, and the hours that stores can open are also reduced. The government said it needed time to reorganize to get back to normal life, and emphasized that this measure is not a retreat, but a pace adjustment.
First news today, this is reporter Kim Deok-hyun.
<Reporter> The
measures to strengthen quarantine will start at 00:00 the day after tomorrow and will be applied for 16 days until the 2nd of the next month.
First of all, private gatherings are limited to 4 people.
There were 6 people in the metropolitan area and 8 people in the non-metropolitan area, but the same applies regardless of region.
Business hours for multi-use facilities will also be reduced again.
Entertainment facilities, restaurants, cafes, gyms, and karaoke bars must close at 9pm.
Movie theaters, performance halls, and PC rooms are open until 10pm.
It also applies to civil service exam preparation academies for adults and various lifelong education academies.
In consideration of the entrance exam season, youth academies were allowed to operate 24 hours a day.
There are over 2.1 million facilities nationwide where the business restrictions are applied again.
In principle, performances or sports events with more than 300 people are prohibited, and the quarantine pass is applied to exhibitions, fairs, and international conferences with more than 50 people.
Additional measures to strengthen quarantine for religious facilities will be announced tomorrow.
President Moon Jae-in, who said at the end of last month, that there is no setback to return to normal life, apologized.
[Park Gyeong-mi / Blue House Spokesperson: We were unable to suppress the increase in patients with severe cases, and preparations such as securing a bed were not sufficient.
I am sorry to the people that quarantine measures have been strengthened again.] The
government emphasized that it is time for reorganization to resume daily recovery.
[Kim Bu-gyeom / Prime Minister: Pause is not a U-turn or retreat on the road of daily recovery, but a necessary speed control.
During the pause, the government will strengthen its medical response capabilities.] The
government also announced that the effective period of the quarantine pass will be delayed by two weeks from the 20th to the 3rd of the next month.
(Video coverage: Jeong Seong-hwa and Lee Yong-han, Video editing: Choi Jin-hwa)