The government will announce changes to social distancing regulations this weekend. 

In a Wednesday briefing, senior Health Ministry official Yoon Tae-ho said preparations are being made to announce revisions to the criteria and content of distancing guidelines.

With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the government is seeking to adjust the levels in consideration of more comprehensive factors including case count, fatality rate, the number of critically-ill patients and quarantine and medical system capacity.

Currently there are three distancing levels with Level One being the lowest.

Discussions are under way to adjust the current scheme so that it would enable a customized response for specific regions and strike a balance between quarantine and everyday life.

Yoon stressed region-specific measures and setting standards on distancing in more realistic terms. He also called for encouraging voluntary participation by citizens rather than forced measures or uniform lockdowns. 

The official also reiterated extra precaution against infections leading up to Halloween.