U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) said on Monday it will ease its health protection measures this week for all areas but Seoul and nearby regions as South Korea has seen a slowdown in the number of new COVID-19 cases. 

USFK announced that it will lower its Health Protection Condition(HPCON) level by one notch to the second-lowest "Bravo" from the current "Charlie" level starting from 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Charlie is the third highest level of the five in HPCON which is the Pentagon’s protocol for dealing with public health emergencies. 

At Charlie-level, in-person gatherings and traveling are strictly restricted. At Bravo-level, service members will be allowed to dine at restaurants, shop offline and conduct outdoor activities while practicing social distancing. 

However, the Charlie-level restrictions will remain in place for service members in Seoul, Incheon and Seongnam in the capital region.