2 weeks extension of social distancing… Mutual meetings and first-birth party family gatherings, 8 people allowed

Enter 2021.03.12 11:20 | Revision 2021.03.12 11:42

The current social distancing (second stage in the metropolitan area and the first stage in the non-metropolitan area) will be extended for two weeks from the 15th. The ban on private gatherings for more than 5 people is also maintained. However, up to 8 people are allowed for wedding meetings and gatherings with infants and children, and the operation of a sauna in a bathhouse is also allowed.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (competitive script) announced such a distance adjustment plan at a regular briefing on the 12th. The government decided to keep the distance between the 2nd stage in the metropolitan area and 1.5 stages in the non-metropolitan area, which was scheduled to end on the 14th of this month, for 2 more weeks. The current measures, which took effect on the 15th of last month, have been extended two times and will continue for a month and a half.

Some quarantine measures are mitigated. Mutual meetings are excluded from the ban on private meetings with more than 5 people. Infants under the age of 6 are excluded from the counting of the number of meetings considering the need for constant protection. If you are accompanied by an infant under the age of 6, you can gather up to 4 people excluding infants and toddlers. Even when there are exceptions such as direct family members, counseling cases, and infants, up to 8 people may be gathered. This is a measure to prevent too many people from gathering.

Even for first-birthday specialty stores, which were virtually impossible to operate due to the ban on private gatherings with more than 5 people, if the quarantine rules are followed, the number of people is restricted as in wedding halls and funeral halls. Two national and public casinos (for foreigners only) in the metropolitan area are allowed to operate within 20% of the capacity, considering the equity with private facilities. For entertainment facilities in the non-metropolitan area, step 1.5 is being applied, and the operating time limit is lifted in consideration of equity with other industries. The script said, “When operating entertainment facilities in the non-metropolitan area, core quarantine rules should be observed, and management such as regular inspection and one strike out should be strengthened.”

The quarantine measures against risk factors such as the metropolitan area will be strengthened. Each central ministry inspects the quarantine status of multi-use facilities under the jurisdiction of the metropolitan area for two weeks. Violating facilities will be notified to local governments and administrative measures such as fines will be imposed. As a result of the inspection, vulnerable facilities with high risk are subject to full inspection or periodic preemptive inspection.

In areas where foreign workers are concentrated and at risk of group infection, 43 temporary screening inspection centers have been established to conduct inspections for foreign workers. It will also hire 5 or more foreigners and conduct on-site inspections of 12,000 workplaces with dormitories. Environmental specimens are collected in public spaces of workplaces employing 10 or more foreign workers in the metropolitan area and Chungcheong area.

The bathhouse business in the metropolitan area is restricted after 10pm. Considering the high risk of infection in the sleeping space, such as the occurrence of group infection through the sleeping room. However, if additional quarantine rules, such as keeping a distance of at least 1m between users, were followed, the operation of sauna and steam facilities became possible.

The script said, “It was determined that it was necessary to maintain the current quarantine response system to prevent the 4th epidemic and to proceed without disruption in vaccination,” regarding the background of the two-week extension of major quarantine measures.