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| On the 5th, an operator is disinfecting exercise equipment at a CrossFit center in downtown Seoul. 2021.1.5/News1 © News1 Reporter Lim Se-young |
It is highly likely that measures to compensate for equity issues by industry, such as gyms according to the government’s social distancing measures, will be applied before the 17th day of the end of the special quarantine countermeasure period.
Tae-ho Yoon, head of the central accident control headquarters, said at a regular briefing on the 6th, “We will look at the overall quarantine measures in the gym once more.” “This includes issues that need to be supplemented, areas related to equity, and raised issues from the field. I will guide you through discussions with the ministry.”
Prior to the heavy-water briefing, Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun ordered at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting held at the Seoul City Hall that day, “There is a controversy over equity over the quarantine standards for indoor sports facilities.” did.
An official from Seoul said, “The city of Seoul, which has many indoor sports facilities, is also participating in the discussion, but the contents and schedule of the revision of the quarantine guidelines have not been decided yet, and more reviews and opinions need to be collected. I know that.”
The issue of equity in quarantine measures for indoor sports facilities arose as the government extended the current social distancing measures (2.5 steps in the metropolitan area, 2 steps in the non-metropolitan area) until the 17th.
In the case of the metropolitan area where step 2.5 is being applied, the operation of indoor sports facilities such as gyms is continuously prohibited, while small-scale sports facilities registered as academies such as Taekwondo and Ballet are allowed to operate under the condition of 9 or less teaching staff at the same time.
Accordingly, more than 500 gymnasiums nationwide are in the middle of’open demonstrations’ where business sites are open but not open. Industry practitioners are holding a rally in front of Yeouido, Seoul and the Democratic Party’s company, shouting’prepare a balanced policy’.
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| Members of the Federation of Health Club Directors hold a rally in front of the Democratic Party in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 6th, urging for the right to live. 2021.1.6/News1 © News1 Reporter Lee Donghae |
Even in the same small sports facilities, only the business of boxing, wrestling, taekwondo, judo, kendo, wushu, and aikido, which are regulated as sports painting business in the Sports Facilities Act, was allowed. Kickboxing and haedong kendo are similar to boxing and kendo, but are prohibited from gathering.
The government showed the possibility that the current indoor sports facility quarantine standards will not be changed until the 17th until the 5th. “It is unreasonable to think that indoor sports facilities have the same quarantine characteristics as the academy,” said Son Young-rae, head of the strategic planning team of the Central Accident Control Headquarters, and said, “It may be difficult, but please cooperate with quarantine management for the next 12 days.
An official from Seoul said, “Because there was an order from the Prime Minister to come up with supplementary measures, discussions are likely to be more promising,” he said. “However, we will carefully examine the situation of each facility and decide on the basis that quarantine can be achieved.”
It is reported that the government will hold a meeting on the 7th to meet with officials in the gym industry to present reinforced quarantine rules and to analyze the risk of facilities. The city of Seoul has gathered the difficulties and opinions of the industry and delivered them to the Central Defense Response Headquarters and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Another official in Seoul said, “We fully understand the issues facing the industry and the quarantine regulations can be flexible at a reasonable level.” However, there is never a logic to lift restrictions on raising voices through collective actions such as protests. “There will be a decision as long as it is not possible and the quarantine does not collapse.”