정부, 5월 5일까지 사회적 거리두기 연장키로…강도는 완화<br /><br />South Korea has reported 13 new cases of COVID-19 on this Monday.<br />The rate of new infections has been on a sharp downward trend lately prompting the government to ease some restrictions while maintaining its social distancing campaign.<br />That includes offering some relief for churches and sporting fixtures<br />Lee Kyung-eun reports.<br />South Korea enters a new phase of containment strategy this Monday,... as it has decided to extend its social distancing campaign until May 5th while lifting some restrictions.<br />"There needs to be a change in the level of social distancing as the struggles of the economy and the people increase."<br />The new measures include normalizing the operation of outdoor public facilities like national parks and forests.<br />Sports like baseball will also be brought back, but with no spectators in the stands.<br />Indoor facilities like museums will open while allowing roughly a third of their total capacity of visitors.<br />And exams can resume in an environment where candidates sit 1-point-five meters apart and are strictly monitored by a quarantine manager designated by the testing organization.<br />The government will announce more detailed guidelines for these facilities in the coming days.<br />High-risk places, including religious facilities, gyms, nightclubs and after-school academies, have also seen their restrictions downgraded.<br />The previous shutdown order has been lifted, so the businesses can re-open, but they must carry out strict quarantine measures.<br />But despite loosening policies, the government will stay prepared for any possible spike in cases.<br />It announced on Monday that temporary care centers will shift their focus to housing patients involved in imported cases or any future group infections that break out in the capital region.<br />Previously, the centers were used to treat COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms, but the number of such patients has been falling.<br />Depending on how the situation unfolds, the country will either further loosen social distancing policies or go back to more aggressive measures.<br />Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.<br />
