Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun says that the government cannot rule out upgrading social distancing to the highest Level Three in line with circumstances and preparations should be made. 

Chairing a government meeting on the COVID-19 response on Wednesday, Chung said rather than blindly implementing Level Three, there is a need to devise support measures for each sector after taking into account the impact on the economy and people’s livelihood. 

He then ordered related government agencies to draw up such support measures in advance based on previous experience in providing relief payouts. 

Also on Wednesday, the prime minister said securing sickbeds is the top priority at present and thanked some private hospitals that have decided to treat COVID-19 cases exclusively as part of efforts to secure more beds.