South Korea to loosen social distancing rules on July 1

Published
0

The South Korean government will relax social distancing rules and allow private gatherings of up to six people in the greater Seoul area from the current four starting on July 1, Reuters reports.

Under the revised rules, restaurants, nightlife venues and cafes will be allowed to open for business until 12am, versus 10pm currently.

"The new social distancing system is an effort to find a balance between quarantine and daily life recovery amid the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic," Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said in a televised briefing.

Unless daily infections spike significantly, the government plans to allow gatherings of up to eight people in the greater Seoul area from July 15, he said.

Opinion

Editorial

Talks, at last
Updated 03 Oct, 2026

Talks, at last

The government’s constant threats to suspend KP’s elected dispensation over a political protest have escalated hostilities considerably. In that context, both sides did well to start talking.
IWT’s future
Updated 03 Oct, 2026

IWT’s future

TOGETHER with the Kashmir dispute, India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty has become the biggest...
Pained minds
03 Oct, 2026

Pained minds

IN Pakistan, mental healthcare is wedged between two extremes — a luxury or a stigma. Estimates cited by the...
Risks ahead
Updated 02 Oct, 2026

Risks ahead

To think that the government would rather push out an elected government than grant a single prisoner some facilities does not square up rationally.
Exit from Iraq
02 Oct, 2026

Exit from Iraq

AMERICAN and British troops have once again shipped out of Iraq. On Wednesday, the foreign forces left the Arab...
Lahore’s ozone warning
02 Oct, 2026

Lahore’s ozone warning

LAHORE has received another warning that its air pollution crisis cannot be treated as a problem that begins with...