"Itaewon Club Halloween Festival, Could It Become a COVID-19 Hidden Threat?"

Citizens Feel 'Anxious' Ahead of Halloween on the 31st
Some in Their 20s and 30s "Planning Gatherings and Festivals for Halloween Day"
Government to Apply 'One-Strike Out Policy' During Halloween Day Period

A street in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the Halloween festival was held on October 31 last year / Photo by Kay Kim katekim221@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] "I'm planning to have a party with my friends," "My girlfriend and I decided to wear costumes."

With Halloween Day approaching on the 31st, citizens' concerns about the resurgence of COVID-19 are growing. Although people say they will enjoy the festival while following quarantine rules, situations where people are packed closely together in enclosed spaces may occur.

Earlier, during the golden holiday in May, COVID-19 spread from Itaewon clubs, raising concerns that there might be confirmed cases stemming from Halloween gatherings. The quarantine authorities have strengthened inspections of entertainment facilities in major areas and repeatedly urged citizens to refrain from gatherings.

Young people have stated that they plan to meet with friends at pubs in Itaewon, while some have reserved party rooms and accommodations to prepare for Halloween parties.

University student A (23) said, "Halloween happens right after midterms, so my girlfriend and I decided to coordinate costumes and go to Itaewon," adding, "Since the social distancing level is at stage 1 anyway, and clubs and pubs are operating normally now, I’m not too worried."

Office worker B (31) also said, "We decided to gather with about 10 to 20 friends and reserved a party room one or two months ago," adding, "Luckily, Halloween falls on a weekend, so we plan to party from Friday evening to Sunday morning."

B added, "We thought about going to a club together, but that seemed too risky. We each chose characters from movies or people we like and prepared costumes. Everyone has had a tough year due to COVID-19, and with the year-end approaching, we decided to relieve stress together."

Footage related to high-risk facilities such as clubs / Photo by Yonhap News

As a result, there are concerns that this year’s Halloween festival might lead to a resurgence of COVID-19. High-risk facilities are pointed out as having a high risk of infection because food is consumed in enclosed spaces and close contact easily occurs.

Since the Itaewon club cluster infection spread during the May holiday, there are calls for increased caution. At that time, the Itaewon club cluster infection extended to the 7th generation of infections, resulting in 277 confirmed cases.

On the Blue House (Cheong Wa Dae) public petition board, petitions requesting a ban on gatherings during Halloween were posted.

According to the petition board on the 26th, posts such as "Please crack down on clubs and entertainment facilities on Halloween Day, October 31," and "Itaewon Halloween parties must be banned" were uploaded.

The petitioner said, "Since restrictions and quarantine measures have been imposed on holidays and major events so far, I hope parties at clubs and entertainment facilities during Halloween will be stopped," adding, "I am afraid that the Itaewon club COVID-19 outbreak might happen again. I ask that those who are following quarantine measures do not suffer."

Meanwhile, quarantine authorities plan to strengthen quarantine management of high-risk facilities during Halloween.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) announced at a regular briefing on the 25th that it will strengthen quarantine inspections targeting entertainment facilities in major areas such as Seoul, Incheon, and Busan to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For businesses that violate core quarantine rules such as ▲ maintaining visitor logs ▲ wearing masks ▲ social distancing even once, the 'one-strike-out system' will be applied, resulting in immediate closure orders or legal action.

Park Neung-hoo, the first head of CDSCH, said on the day, "I understand the desire to meet people you haven't seen for a long time due to COVID-19 and relieve the stuffy feeling, but please remember the Itaewon club cluster infection in May," emphasizing, "Please refrain from gatherings where many people gather in enclosed spaces and have close contact on Halloween Day."

Experts repeatedly urged avoiding visits to high-risk facilities and adhering to personal quarantine rules.

Professor Kim Woo-joo of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital emphasized on a YouTube broadcast on the 19th, "After assessing whether the environment is '3Cs' (crowded, close-contact, enclosed), if attendance is not absolutely necessary, it is better to avoid risky places."

Professor Kim added, "The increase in domestic COVID-19 cases is not explosive but not decreasing either. Cluster infections are still occurring in nursing hospitals and other places," adding, "After lowering social distancing to level 1, many people are gathering in clubs, pubs, and outdoors. It is necessary to avoid high-risk places where ventilation is poor or close contact occurs."