GOV’T TO RELAX DISTANCING MEASURES

[Anchor Lead]

Although the number of cases is soaring, the government is looking into relaxing the current social distancing measures due to expire this Sunday. Authorities are discussing whether to completely terminate social distancing as if we’re in an endemic situation or to ease just some measures. The discussion is likely to go on until the new measures are announced tomorrow.

[Pkg]

The government is reviewing ways to change the distancing measures due to expire on March 20th. Officials are attentively taking in advice from the Daily Restoration Support Committee and opinions of relevant ministries. The current measures limit private gatherings to six people and business hours to 11 p.m. A wide range of plans are discussed, from partial easing of capacity and business hour restrictions to complete removal of restrictions. Business owners believe it is discriminatory and ineffective to impose restrictions only on multipurpose establishments like cafes and restaurants when disease control measures have been relaxed for other facilities.

[Soundbite] Gyeong Ki-seok(National Council for Local Commercial Areas) : "Time limitation has become meaningless. Not many businesses can stay open beyond midnight. Loss compensation hasn’t been enough and many older business owners couldn’t even receive that."

Still many oppose this idea. As the medical systems in some areas are already overloaded, it would be reckless to terminate all disease control measures at the peak of the surge.

[Soundbite] Prof. Lee Ja-gab(Hallym Univ. Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital) : "They said that since it’s like the flu, the medical system can be modified to withstand the shock. But patients from convalescent hospitals are barred from being transported and people with renal problems cannot receive dialysis regularly on time."

The government already announced distancing levels would be lowered dramatically, indicating that it is leaning towards relaxed measures. A new set of social distancing guidelines will be announced on March 18th.