Seoul to ban rallies of 10 or more people

Seoul: The Seoul city government on Thursday announced a plan to ban street rallies of 10 or more peoplem amid mounting concerns over a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in the South Korean capital.

Under the move which will come into force on Friday, all demonstrations with 10 or more participants will be banned until August 30 midnight, Yonhap News Agency quoted the Seoul metropolitan government as saying.

Currently, rallies with 100 or more participants are banned in Seoul under the Level Two social distancing scheme that went into effect over the weekend.

Those that violate the measure may face up to 3 million won ($2,526) in fines. The city government also plans to file criminal complaints against organizations and individuals for breaking the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.

The move came after at least 637 members of a church, who live in the greater Seoul area, have tested positive for Covid-19, in addition to 39 outside the densely populated region.

On Thursday, South Korea reported 288 new coronavirus cases, raising the total caseload to 16,346. It marked the seventh straight day of new cases increasing by triple digits.