Sangmi Cha

SEOUL (Reuters). South Korea announced Friday that it will lift strict anti-coronavirus restrictions on social gatherings in the coming week as it prepares for a ‘living alongside COVID-19’ strategy to combat rising vaccine levels.

A new panel established this week is drawing up a plan for a gradual return to normalcy https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-planning-live-more-normally-with-covid-19-after-october-2021-09-08 in the long term, eventually lifting sweeping restrictions and reopening the economy in November on the expectation that 80% of the adult population will be fully vaccinated.

The government will permit gatherings up to four people who are not vaccinated starting Monday. It will also ease restrictions on operating hours at venues such as cafes and cinemas.

Seoul allows eight persons to meet together if they are four people who have been fully vaccinated. In other areas, it is allowed for up to 10 people to join.

South Korea did not impose a total lockdown. However, it was subject to the most severe social distancing controls, which include a limit on larger gatherings than 2 people at 6 pm since July’s fourth wave of infected.

Lee Kiil, the deputy minister of healthcare policy told a briefing that relaxation will allow outdoor events to be performed in front of large crowds.

Kim stated that everyone had tried for the past year, eight months to see the end of the long tunnel of the pandemic. Now the dawn of hope is coming closer.

“The last test for restoring routines is the remainder of October. There are still two weeks.”

These new rules on social distancing will remain in effect until October 31st, after which authorities will announce an inclusive strategy to small businesses and self-employed who have been hard hit by these harsh curbs.

South Korea on Thursday reported 1,684 cases of COVID-19, which brings the total number to 339.361 and 2,626 deaths. The country has vaccinated at least one child in every 52 million inhabitants and has vaccinated 62% of them.

The country began this month offering boosters https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-vaccinate-12-17-year-olds-give-boosters-elderly-2021-09-27 to those with weakened immune systems or deemed to be at high risk – the elderly, nursing home patients and staff.

Moon Jae In, 68, was given his Pfizer/BioNTech booster shot Friday. This comes six months after he received his first dose of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine in April.