Daejeon to Enforce 'Level 4 Social Distancing' from 27th... Evening Gatherings of 3 or More Prohibited

Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jeong recently held an emergency briefing on COVID-19 response at Daejeon City Hall to explain the spread of infectious diseases in the region. Photo by Daejeon City

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Daejeon City will raise social distancing to Level 4 from the 27th of this month to the 8th of next month.

According to the city on the 25th, when Level 4 distancing is implemented, private gatherings will be limited to 2 people from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day. In addition, all events are prohibited from gathering, and only one person is allowed for rallies and demonstrations.

During the Level 4 implementation period, restaurants, cafes, singing practice rooms, and indoor sports facilities will be prohibited from operating from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day. However, restaurants and cafes can still offer takeout and delivery during these hours.

Gatherings at entertainment facilities, danranjumeon (karaoke bars), colateks, and holdem pubs are prohibited. Also, academies, movie theaters, reading rooms, beauty salons, arcades, PC rooms, marts, and department stores will have restricted operations from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning.

Wedding halls and funeral halls can only host up to 49 people each, and religious facilities can allow up to 19 attendees, within 10% of their total capacity.

Sports games will be held without spectators, and drinking alcohol outdoors in parks, riversides, and other outdoor areas is prohibited after 10 p.m.

The city plans to organize a special joint inspection team of about 2,000 public officials from city hall, autonomous districts, police stations, and education offices to check compliance with Level 4 distancing rules at local facilities.

Additionally, workers at local academies and sports facilities will be required to undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing. This is intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during summer vacation supplementary learning and sports facility use.

Meanwhile, Daejeon recorded 1,065 new COVID-19 cases this month alone. Especially, 499 new cases occurred in the past week, averaging 71.3 confirmed cases per day, making the infection rate second highest after Seoul relative to the population.

Mayor Heo Tae-jung of Daejeon said, “If we do not strengthen quarantine measures now, a more painful and unmanageable situation than the current one may arise,” adding, “The city is raising the distancing level to the highest stage with a desperate mindset that there is no room to retreat.”