Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) Commissioner Peck Kyong-ran has called on the public and companies to engage in voluntary social distancing, saying the nation is entering its first round of COVID-19 without uniformly-administered restrictions.

The KDCA chief made the request in a media briefing on Tuesday, stressing the roles of the public and businesses in overcoming the latest round of infections. 

Peck said indiscriminately imposed restrictions are not very effective in curbing a new wave, indicating that the Yoon Suk Yeol administration is unlikely to revive the state-driven distancing policies employed under the previous government in response to the upsurge in new cases. 

However, she denied that there is no need for social distancing, saying it is a question of whether distancing will be led by the public or by the government. 

Peck cited several measures taken by local companies to contain infections at their workplaces, such as reducing the number of business trips and group meals and relying more on video conferences and telecommuting, saying the latest crisis will be overcome with such efforts as the recovery from the pandemic continues.