South Korea has seen four-digit new COVID-19 cases continue for days, but the government has reiterated its cautious stance on enforcing unprecedented lockdown measures, citing their potential impact on the economy. 

Health Ministry spokesperson Son Young-rae said in a regular media briefing on Friday that lifting social distancing to Level Three will cause tremendous economic damage and added that containing the latest wave without further raising the distancing rule is the government’s goal. 

The average daily number of new COVID-19 cases in the nation stood at 934-point-four in the past week, surpassing the minimum threshold of 800 required to implement the highest level of the five-tier social-distancing system. 

The virus-related death toll and the number of critically ill patients are also rising quickly. 

However, Son said over two million small businesses and facilities across the nation will be suspended or face substantial limitations and urged the public to cooperate so the current distancing schemes, including Two-point-Five in the greater Seoul area, will prove effective.