Delaying Singing Practice Rooms According to Local Conditions Beyond Government Plan
Cumulative Confirmed Cases in Daegu Reach 8,132 as of Midnight on the 16th
The scene of Myeongdong Street in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 16th. On this day, the government announced that it will extend the current social distancing measures (Level 2.5 in the metropolitan area and Level 2 in non-metropolitan areas) and the nationwide ban on private gatherings of five or more people until the end of this month to prevent the spread of COVID-19. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] Social distancing measures in the Daegu area will be partially eased starting from the 18th.
The business hours ban for cafes, restaurants, karaoke rooms, indoor sports facilities, door-to-door sales and promotional centers, and indoor standing concert halls will be extended from the current 9 PM to 11 PM. Dance halls and dance academies, which were previously prohibited from gathering, will have their density adjusted based on facility area restrictions (one person per 4㎡).
This decision was finalized on the 16th at a meeting of the Comprehensive Quarantine Countermeasures Team, which included infectious disease experts, one day before the current social distancing measures end at midnight on the 17th.
Daegu City will extend social distancing level 2 for two weeks from the 18th to the 31st as per the government’s plan, but will adjust some of the strengthened quarantine rules implemented during the special quarantine period.
First, common quarantine rules for non-metropolitan areas include ▲ban on private gatherings of five or more people ▲allowing 20% seating capacity for face-to-face religious activities such as regular worship, mass, Buddhist services, and memorial ceremonies ▲reservation restrictions limiting bookings to two-thirds of rooms in lodging facilities and prohibiting occupancy beyond room capacity ▲ban on gatherings in party rooms and holdem pubs ▲allowing eating and drinking inside cafes.
Quarantine rules tailored to the Daegu area include extending the business hours ban for karaoke rooms, indoor sports facilities, door-to-door sales and promotional centers, indoor standing concert halls, and restaurants by two hours later than the government’s proposed 9 PM curfew.
Additionally, among public facilities, park golf courses and other public sports facilities will resume operations while strictly adhering to quarantine rules, and dance halls and dance academies, which were banned from gathering as sports facilities, will be allowed to operate with adjusted density of one person per 4㎡.
Educational institutions for care workers and funeral directors will follow the same rules as academies, and closures of daycare centers, senior centers, and local children’s centers will be maintained for the time being.
A Daegu city official explained, "There were many demands for a full lifting of the gathering ban and business hour restrictions on high-risk priority management facilities, but we adjusted the measures after comprehensively considering ongoing concerns about local infection spread and the economic difficulties faced by small business owners."
Meanwhile, Daegu reported 27 confirmed cases on the 10th, which dropped to the teens the following day, but on the 16th (as of midnight), six days later, 20 confirmed cases were reported again. The cumulative number of confirmed cases as of midnight on the 16th is 8,132.
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