Crowded and Close... Concerns Over COVID-19 Spread in Coin Karaoke and PC Bang

Extension of Elementary, Middle, and High School Opening Dates Due to Prolonged COVID-19
Youths with Nowhere to Go Flock to Coin Karaoke Rooms, PC Bangs, etc.
Concerns Over COVID-19 Spread in Enclosed Spaces... Experts Advise "Always Maintain Cleanliness"

Teenagers playing games at a PC bang in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 24th [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Concerns are growing that a cluster infection may be expanding as new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continue to emerge at a coin karaoke room in Changnyeong-gun, Gyeongnam Province.

Following the confirmation of one employee at the coin karaoke room, two additional customers?a 16-year-old high school girl and a 24-year-old man in his twenties?also tested positive.

Given the situation, worries are increasing that places frequently visited by people in their 20s and 30s, such as coin karaoke rooms, PC bangs, and clubs, could accelerate the spread of COVID-19.

According to Gyeongnam Province on the 4th, one employee at the karaoke room was confirmed positive for COVID-19 (nationwide case 2176, Gyeongnam case 51) on the 28th of last month. Health authorities are conducting an epidemiological investigation, considering the possibility that the employee was infected while frequently entering customer rooms to serve drinks and other items.

The problem lies in the fact that many teenagers and people in their twenties visit multi-use facilities like coin karaoke rooms. Due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation and the extended school opening schedules for elementary, middle, and high schools, many youths with nowhere else to go are frequenting these facilities.

On the 28th of last month, a PC bang was included in the movement path of a teenage middle school student who tested positive for COVID-19 in Busan.

On the 22nd of last month, a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) was transferred to the negative pressure ward at Gangwon National University Hospital in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In response to the situation, local governments and health authorities are stepping up disinfection efforts at PC bangs. Recently, Naju City in Jeonnam Province expanded its disinfection scope beyond previously focused multi-use facilities such as bus terminals, bus stops, train stations, and public restrooms to include PC bangs, study rooms, comic book cafes, and academy districts.

Clubs, where many people gather, have also voluntarily closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In Mapo-gu, Seoul, one of three clubs in the Hongdae area has begun closure to help prevent the spread of the virus. According to Mapo-gu on the 5th, out of 44 dance-permitted establishments (clubs), 16 plan to conduct a voluntary closure campaign for one week from the 6th to the 12th.

However, some express skepticism. A man in his late 20s, office worker A, said, "Even if COVID-19 prevention measures are in place, new youths will visit PC bangs every day. If that student is infected or a confirmed case, the prevention efforts seem useless."

Another office worker, C, added, "Unless people wear masks in PC bangs, which most do not, I worry that PC bangs or coin karaoke rooms might become vectors for COVID-19 spread."

Experts emphasize the need to inspect blind spots in prevention efforts, as some youths tend to gather in places vulnerable to infection.

Professor Lee Jae-gap of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital suggested in an interview with Channel A, "It's not just about masks; infections through hands can also be problematic, so it's important to thoroughly clean places that many people touch."

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