S. Korea bans community facilities at apartments, year-end parties as virus spikes again

Nov 30, 2020, 09:09 am

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Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks at a press conference at the Seoul Government Complex in Seoul on Nov. 29, 2020./ Photographed by Song Eui-joo (songuijoo@)

AsiaToday reporter Kim Ji-hye

Community facilities at apartments will be shut down starting Tuesday. All year-end parties and events hosted by hotels will be banned. The government has introduced a set of tailored quarantine measures while raising the social distancing level to 1.5 across the country in the fight against COVID-19. South Korea reported 450 cases Sunday. The daily average over the past week is 416 cases, which is well above the threshold of 400 that health authorities have designated for the start of stricter distancing measures. However, they decided not to raise the social distancing level in Seoul and surrounding areas to 2.5 from the current 2.

“We are maintaining Level 2 in the greater Seoul area but applying stricter rules for specific facilities,” Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at a press briefing at the Seoul Government Complex in Seoul on Sunday.

Level 1.5 social distancing will be implemented outside of Seoul while Busan, South Chungcheong and three other provinces and areas where high number of virus cases have been reported will be put under tougher Level 2 social distancing. For the wide Seoul area, the current Level 2 social distancing will be maintained, however tougher measures will be applied for specific facilities that are prone to virus transmission. The anti-virus curbs will be implemented in the greater Seoul region starting Tuesday for a week, and outside of Seoul for two weeks from Tuesday.

The key point of the latest measure is tailored quarantine measures. The government has implemented tougher distancing measures on saunas, steam-bath rooms in bathhouses, indoor exercise facilities and other facilities with a high risk of mass infection.

“Saunas and steam-bath rooms with a high risk of mass infection will be banned,” said the prime minister. “Indoor exercise facilities that involve vigorous exercises such as zumba, spinning, and aerobics will be prohibited,” Chung said. “Wind instruments and singing lessons at private institutions and community centers will be banned, considering that there is a high possibility of spreading the virus through droplets during lessons. However, teaching for test takers preparing for performance exams will be excluded from the ban.”

In addition, the government will ban amenities at apartment complexes like cafes and study rooms will be banned. To slow down the spread of the virus among young people, the government will ban hotels, party rooms and other guest houses from hosting year-end or New Year’s parties and events.

The government asked the public to cancel private gatherings of more than 10 people in the greater Seoul area.

Meanwhile, the country reported 450 new coronavirus cases for Saturday, including 413 local cases, raising the total caseload to 33, 824.

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