In the Seoul metropolitan area, the social distancing level of Level 2.5 initially scheduled to end on Sept. 6 was extended an additional week. Areas outside of the capital had the period for Level 2 lengthened for two more weeks.
Thanks to the higher alert level that began on Aug. 30, the daily increase in positive cases in the Greater Seoul area slowed to below 200 on both Sept. 3 and 4.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Sept. 4 told a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, "We must tighten our grip now and surely slow the spread to prevent greater pain."
Korea.net observed changes in daily routines in Seoul due to the higher alert level of social distancing.
By Xu Aiying and Yoon Sojung
Seoul | Sept. 2, 2020
7:45 a.m.: All commuters riding the subway must wear masks
Changes were visible as soon as I touched my transportation card at a subway station. The usual beep after touching my card was changed to a voice message saying "Please wear a mask." Inside the subway car on the morning of Sept. 2, every passenger on a Seoul Line 4 subway car wore a mask. A few were spotted lowering their masks because of breathing difficulty, especially when walking faster while transferring to other lines, but most generally followed this guideline well. (Xu Aiying)
8:30 a.m.: Visitor registration at cafe using QR code
People visit a cafe in Seoul's Jongno-gu District on the way to work, and a cafe staffer inputs the QR code of each customer in the visitor registration system. A patron can also record his or her visit by writing his or her name and phone number and presenting ID. Inside the cafe, tables and chairs are all cleared to the side and lined up to prevent customers from sitting there. This is due to the latest quarantine measure in the capital region requiring cafe chains to ban sit-in customers and permit takeout only. (Xu Aiying)
10 a.m.: social distancing at workplace
Changes are also visible at workplaces. More staff working from home means more empty seats at offices, as seen on the morning of Sept. 4 at Korea.net's office in Seoul's Jongno-gu District. More seats are empty than occupied because more than half of the staff work from home. (Xu Aiying)
Noon: Packed meal rather than eating out at lunch time
Amid a resurgence of confirmed cases of COVID-19, more office workers prefer to bring lunch from home or order delivery. Preparing food at home takes time but is often healthier and cheaper than eating out. (Kim Hyelin)
7 p.m.: Heading straight home after work
Amid the higher level of social distancing, more people are postponing or canceling unnecessary meetings or gatherings and simply heading straight home after work. They opt to see friends or even hold birthday parties online and work out at home rather than the gym. The photo shows a customer buying takeout coffee at a Starbucks branch in Seoul, with tables and chairs all stacked to one side. (Yonhap News)
8:45 p.m.: Quieter streets at night
The streets of Seoul have grown quieter and less crowded. The door of a restaurant has a quarantine notice saying dining in is banned between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. People hurriedly left with their masks on as the time approaches 9 p.m. Office workers headed home as evening bus operations in Seoul were reduced 20% under the city's social distancing guidelines. (Xu Aiying)
xuaiy@korea.kr