"Please Eat Quietly" Do You Know the 'COVID-19 Restaurant Etiquette'? [Reporter Han Goes]

Loud Talking and Conversations in Restaurants
Concerns Over COVID-19 Spread Through Droplets
Owners Say "Just Eat Quietly and Leave"
Minimize Time Spent... Must Follow Safety Rules in Restaurants

COVID-19 prevention guidelines posted on the entrance door of a restaurant in Seoul. Item 4 requests to refrain from speaking loudly. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "The best customers are those who quietly eat and leave."

As new clusters of COVID-19 infections continue to emerge daily, the scale of the 'third wave' is growing larger. Especially in restaurants, where many people gather and masks must be removed, so-called 'COVID-19 dining etiquette' is being required.

This means literally eating only the food when dining at a restaurant. Talking or loudly chatting with acquaintances inevitably produces droplets (saliva particles), which can potentially spread COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

The problem lies with some customers who do not properly follow this. Kim, a man in his 30s who works at a company, recently expressed dissatisfaction after seeing people loudly chatting with acquaintances in a restaurant.

Kim said, "COVID-19 is spreading rapidly these days, and when people talk while spitting saliva, those nearby naturally feel uncomfortable," adding, "I think it’s best for both customers and business owners if people just eat and leave."

Lee, a university student in his 20s, said, "I often saw middle-aged men sitting close together watching TV and continuing conversations," and added, "Since it’s a restaurant, they talk without masks, and I feel anxious that saliva might spread." He further pointed out, "It’s tough, but I hope people just eat their food and leave."

◆ Droplets travel through air in restaurants... eventually leading to COVID-19 infection

With concerns about COVID-19 infection, compliance with quarantine rules in restaurants is required. According to a research study, there have been cases where COVID-19 transmission is presumed to have occurred indoors even when people were more than 2 meters apart.

According to a team led by Professor Lee Ju-hyung from the Department of Preventive Medicine at Jeonbuk National University College of Medicine on the 1st, a confirmed patient A in Jeonju, Jeonbuk, who tested positive in June, was infected after staying about 5 minutes in the same restaurant with another confirmed patient who was more than 6 meters away.

According to health authorities, patient A showed initial symptoms on June 16 and tested positive on the 17th. However, the exact source of infection was unclear at the time. Considering the incubation period, the research team estimated that patient A was exposed to the virus between June 2 and 15 and then checked movement paths. They found that patient A had stayed about 5 minutes in the same restaurant with patient B, a confirmed case from Daejeon who had visited Jeonju.

However, patient A and B were about 6.5 meters apart and had no direct or indirect contact. The research team thus considered the possibility of infection through contact or shared items to be low and measured airflow. At that time, the restaurant had no windows or ventilation system. There were only two entrance doors, and two ceiling air conditioners were operating. The airflow between patients A and B was measured at 1.0 meters per second.

Professor Lee explained, "When there is no wind, droplets settle within 1 to 2 meters, but when there is wind, long-distance transmission is possible," adding, "A fan’s airflow is about 5 meters per second, so droplets can travel 5 meters in just one second," and concluded, "This confirmed the possibility of long-distance transmission through airflow via patient A."

COVID-19 prevention guidelines posted on the entrance door of a cafe in Seoul. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

◆ "If a confirmed case appears, the business fails" Restaurant owners sigh

Summarizing the situation, in restaurants, it is essential to minimize situations where droplets can be produced and to comply with quarantine rules to be safe from COVID-19 infection risks. When a cluster of confirmed cases occurred at a Starbucks in Paju last August, it was also suggested that strong air conditioner airflow inside the store might have spread the virus. This is why everyone must follow 'COVID-19 dining etiquette.'

Restaurant owners’ complaints continue. Kim, a man in his 50s who runs a restaurant in a busy alley in Seoul, said, "For self-employed people like us, the scariest thing is when a confirmed COVID-19 case appears in the business," adding, "If a confirmed case appears even once, the business is basically doomed." He continued, "We do COVID-19 disinfection all day long, but that doesn’t guarantee no confirmed cases. We just hope customers take care and be cautious themselves."

Meanwhile, confirmed cases linked to restaurants continue to emerge. According to Ulsan City on the 2nd, a woman in her 50s (patient number 211) residing in Dong-gu was confirmed positive for COVID-19 that day. This patient had eaten at a restaurant in Dong-gu with patient number 203 from Ulsan on the 25th of last month. Patient 203 is presumed to have been infected after visiting her in-laws in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on the 20th-21st of last month.

Also, on the 3rd, dozens of people were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 in a restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Jongno-gu announced on the 3rd that about 20 people were confirmed as a cluster infection at the Pagoda Town restaurant located at the site of the old Pagoda Theater.

At this restaurant, after two residents of Dobong-gu tested positive on the 1st, multiple confirmed cases from other districts, including four from Seodaemun-gu, were reported by the 3rd. The restaurant where the cluster infection occurred is a large Korean restaurant with an area of about 400 square meters.

Meanwhile, according to health authorities, since it is difficult to wear masks in cafes and restaurants and the environment is close-contact, infection transmission can easily occur, so COVID-19 prevention quarantine rules must be followed.

According to health authorities, when entering a restaurant, one must ▲ wear a mask at all times, ▲ avoid visiting during crowded times, ▲ minimize the time spent inside, ▲ maintain a distance of at least 2 meters, ▲ wash hands, ▲ refrain from talking as much as possible while the mask is off for eating or drinking, and ▲ always wear a mask except when eating or drinking.