Jongno-gu Advises Restraint on Religious Gatherings at Gwanghwamun Square and Recommends Temporary Closure of Daycare Centers

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Jongno-gu (Mayor Kim Young-jong) officially requested religious organizations in the area to refrain from weekend gatherings on the 21st, as COVID-19 cases are increasing nationwide and concerns about community spread are growing.

Additionally, to prevent infections among daycare children, a temporary closure was also recommended for all 77 daycare centers in the area.

The district asked that if religious organizations inevitably hold weekend gatherings, they post COVID-19 prevention guidelines at the main entrance, mandate mask-wearing for attendees, and ensure sufficient supplies of infection prevention items such as thermometers and hand sanitizers.

The recommended closure period for local daycare centers is six days, from the 21st to the 26th, with any extension to be separately notified depending on the situation.

Emergency childcare services will be provided during the closure period for children whose families, such as dual-income households, cannot provide home care.

Furthermore, many public facilities frequently used by residents, including libraries, welfare centers, senior centers, and sports facilities, were temporarily closed, various programs and events postponed, and Tapgol Park, where many elderly people gather, was temporarily closed.

The district had already taken various hygiene management and quarantine measures, such as providing hand sanitizers in public facilities and encouraging mask-wearing, but due to increased anxiety among residents using these facilities, the decision to close them was made.

The status of public facility closures in the area can be checked on the district office website (www.jongno.go.kr).

In addition, for private sports facilities vulnerable to infection, district office staff visited directly to post COVID-19 prevention guidelines, distributed hand sanitizers to many businesses to alleviate the difficulties faced by small business owners due to decreased foot traffic and consumption contraction, and to ease residents' anxiety.

Mayor Kim Young-jong stated, “We are mobilizing all related personnel to conduct disinfection and quarantine, operating the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters 24 hours a day, and working tirelessly to prevent the local spread of COVID-19. Under close cooperation with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, we will spare no administrative support to alleviate residents’ anxiety.”

On the 20th, Jongno-gu conducted special disinfection of areas with large gatherings, such as Gwanghwamun Square. This was in response to growing anxiety among nearby residents due to the ongoing weekend gatherings at Gwanghwamun Square amid the spread of COVID-19.

Accordingly, Seoul City held an emergency briefing on the 21st and announced that, pursuant to Article 49 of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act, gatherings at Gwanghwamun Square are temporarily prohibited.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.