ADJUSTMENT IN COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

[Anchor Lead]

The government has slightly adjusted the level of COVID-19 restrictions ahead of the lunar New Year holidays. Shopping facilities and logistics centers will be subject to intensified inspections, while the gathering ban on five or more people will remain in place through the end of the holiday period. Businesses outside of the greater Seoul area are now allowed to operate until 10 p.m.

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Department stores and supermarket chains are crowded with customers shopping for ancestral rites and gift sets for relatives they won't be able to meet during the upcoming holiday. An increase in such activity could undermine virus prevention efforts as it involves close physical contact in poorly ventilated indoor spaces. Wearing masks is essential to prevent the spread of the virus in shopping facilities. All staff members and customers are mandated to keep their masks on. Eating, drinking and sampling cosmetic products are banned as they require mask-removal. Product demonstrations and operation of resting areas are also prohibited to prevent crowding. Stronger measures have been introduced for logistics centers and delivery workers as the number of packages soars ahead of Seollal.

[Soundbite] Sohn Young-rae(Central Disaster Management HQs) : "We will check if delivery workers wear masks, follow personal hygiene rules and disinfect their trucks thoroughly."

The nationwide gathering ban on five or more people will remain in place through February 14. Quarantine authorities plan to minimize the third wave of COVID-19 by restricting travel and contact, as well as setting up four vaccination centers in each region.

[Soundbite] Jeon Hae-cheol(Minister of the Interior and Safety) : "The efficacy of vaccinations must be maximized through thorough virus prevention during the holidays and prior to vaccinations."

Some 580,000 restaurants and cafes outside the greater Seoul area are now allowed to operate until 10 p.m. This was possible because in the past week, the median daily number of coronavirus cases dropped to 97, or around half of the week prior. Authorities urge the public to refrain from traveling and visiting relatives during the holiday period, as social distancing measures will have to be extended if the number of cases spike again after the Seollal weekend.