S. Korea to impose nationwide ban on restaurant gatherings of 5 or more people
SEOUL. KAZINFORM South Korea will ban five or more people from gathering at restaurants during the upcoming holiday season to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, officials said Tuesday.
Restaurants will be fined up to 3 million won (US$2,709) in case of a violation, while customers will be fined up to 100,000 won, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, Yonhap reports.
The new restriction will be part of the government's special antivirus measures in effect from Thursday until Jan. 3. Exceptions will be made for families and others who are registered under the same address.
During that period, all other private gatherings of five or more people will be strongly discouraged.
Separately, Seoul and the adjacent Incheon and Gyeonggi Province announced a day earlier that they will ban private gatherings of five or more people regardless of venue from Wednesday until Jan. 3.
«We intend to break the force of the third wave with measures that are stronger than those under Level 3 social distancing,» Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a meeting of the interagency task force, indicating the government remains cautious about adopting the highest level due to its potential economic impact.
«The government will block transmissions in everyday life in practical ways rather than through the formality of adjusting levels,» Chung said.
The capital area is currently under Level 2.5, the second highest in a five-tier scheme, as authorities continue to weigh the pros and cons of adopting Level 3 rules.
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