Indoor Mask Wearing and Social Distancing... This Is a Blind Spot

Despite Indoor Mask Mandate, Ignored
No Masks for 40 Minutes Inside Cafe
Handwritten Logs Still Show 'O Others'

Hundreds Crowd Venue Entrance
Organizers Request "Please Wear Masks"

On the first day of the indoor mask mandate on the 12th, many people in cafes still wore their masks below the chin or did not wear masks at all, even though they were not drinking beverages.

[Asia Economy Reporters Donghoon Jeong and Jeongyun Lee] On the afternoon of the 12th, the first day of mandatory indoor mask-wearing, a cafe near Gangnam Station in Seoul was crowded with office workers who had just finished lunch, but many were seen not wearing masks. Four office workers took off their masks and placed them on the table as soon as they entered the cafe. They continued their conversation while drinking beverages and remained bare-faced even after finishing their drinks. It was only about 40 minutes later, when they were about to leave the cafe, that they finally hung the mask straps on their ears. With the mask mandate in effect, masks must always be worn indoors regardless of the social distancing level. Violations can result in a fine of 100,000 KRW, and if operators of multi-use facilities neglect management or operation, a fine of 1.5 million KRW may be imposed. However, the term "mandatory" seemed meaningless as quarantine rules were not properly followed. Despite increased spring activities and concerns about a fourth wave, scenes of declining quarantine vigilance have become common.

Maintaining a distance of more than 1 meter has practically disappeared. At a fast-food restaurant near Gyodae Station, signs asked customers to leave seats empty for social distancing, but patrons ate sitting closely together. At a cafe near Sinnonhyeon Station, a man and woman sat right next to each other, ignoring notices on a laptop screen that read "Social Distancing" and "Please use another table," while watching videos.

Since the 5th of this month, all visitors are required to fill out entry logs, but some places still do not comply. At a cafe near Seoul Nambu Terminal in Seocho-gu, only one representative filled out the handwritten entry log, noting "and ○ others" at the end. Writing logs in this manner can result in a fine of up to 100,000 KRW. A cafe employee said, "It seems customers were unaware of the changed rules," adding, "When managing the store alone, we often only ask customers to check in via QR code or fill out the handwritten log without thoroughly checking the details."

Large-scale performance venues are also blind spots for quarantine. On the evening of the 7th, a musical theater in downtown Seoul was crowded 30 minutes before the show started. The crowd was so dense that people had to worry about bumping shoulders. Hundreds of people trying to enter at the showtime gathered at the entrance. The 1-meter distancing recommended by health authorities was completely ignored. Although seats were arranged so that non-group members sat with one seat apart, the risk of COVID-19 infection lingered during the several hours of the performance. However, the event organizers strictly enforced mask-wearing, with staff warning attendees who were not wearing masks properly or at all. Jeong (33), who attended the performance, said, "I have never seen such a crowded space since the COVID-19 outbreak," and added, "It seemed necessary to stagger audience entry times or enforce distancing more strictly."

Professor Eunmi Cheon of the Respiratory Medicine Department at Ewha Mokdong Hospital said, "If people do not wear masks and maintain low density through distancing, confirmed cases can increase even if vaccinated," emphasizing, "The most important measure to avoid COVID-19 infection is wearing masks, and even when going out, efforts should be made to avoid crowded facilities and go only with family."