Seoul metro area is likely to stay in level 2.5

On Saturday, the South Korean government plans to hold a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting to discuss adjustments in social distancing. Staying careful and cautious, it considers allowing cram schools, ski resorts and the like to open on the condition that quarantine measures are strengthened with the current level of social distancing left unchanged. Level 2.5 is in place in the Seoul metropolitan area, while level 2 is in effect across the rest of the nation.

A government official said in a telephone call with the Dong-A Ilbo on Friday that there are discussions on whether to allow for off-line classes in cram schools in the Seoul metropolitan area on condition of a stricter limit on the number of students. Since the government announced level 2.5 social distancing on the Seoul metro area on Dec. 8, cram schools and private tutoring institutions have been closed but instead provided online classes only. As for winter sports facilities such as ski resorts and snow sledding slopes, the government is reviewing the measure to allow for their operation with a limited number of visitors. By contrast, outdoor screen golf clubs may be subject to a ban on public assembly.

Meanwhile, U.S. pharmaceutical firm Moderna issued a public release on Thursday (local time) that it concluded a supply contract with the South Korean government on 40 million doses for 20 million citizens, saying that vaccines will be provided starting from May.


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