Dobong-gu Conducts On-site Inspections of All Karaoke Rooms, PC Cafes, and Entertainment Bars

Joint Inspection with Police on Quarantine Status of 260 Singing Practice Rooms and PC Cafes from 12th to 20th... Compliance with Suspension of 23 Entertainment Bars

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Dobong-gu (Mayor Dongjin Lee) is conducting on-site inspections of all karaoke rooms and PC cafes in the area to block community transmission of COVID-19.

Currently, Dobong-gu has 180 registered karaoke rooms and 80 PC cafes. To prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community, the district formed inspection teams composed of Dobong-gu office employees in pairs of two, conducting on-site inspections of all 260 karaoke rooms and PC cafes throughout the district from May 12 to 20.

The inspection teams check compliance with the following: △Symptomatic workers must leave immediately (temperature and other checks twice daily with records kept) △At entrances, check for fever and respiratory symptoms, and prohibit entry of those who have traveled abroad in the past two weeks, those with fever or respiratory symptoms, and high-risk groups (records kept) △All workers and users must wear masks (no entry without masks) △Provision of handwashing facilities or hand sanitizers and trash bins △Maintain a distance of 2 meters (at least 1 meter) between people △Disinfect and ventilate facilities at least twice daily (including time and manager confirmation with records) △Designate a quarantine management officer and maintain visitor logs, among other quarantine guideline compliance checks, with guidance on penalties for non-compliance.

In addition, from May 8, on-site inspections have been conducted on 139 sports facilities to check compliance with quarantine guidelines, and inspections of 307 religious facilities are scheduled to begin on May 17.

The district plans to issue administrative guidance and, under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, administrative orders to prohibit gatherings and assemblies if quarantine guidelines are violated.

Furthermore, following the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s administrative order to prohibit gatherings at entertainment facilities, from May 9 to 14, joint inspections with the police were conducted to verify compliance with the suspension of operations at 23 entertainment bars in the area. Currently, all 23 entertainment establishments in the district remain closed.

Earlier, to prevent COVID-19, the district distributed a total of 1,040 hand sanitizers (3 per each of the 260 karaoke rooms and PC cafes) and 260 thermometers (1 per each) starting April 24.

Currently, the district has placed a total of 103 disinfection machines at community service centers and lends quarantine supplies free of charge to small business owners and self-employed individuals, such as karaoke rooms, who wish to disinfect their stores to prevent COVID-19 infection.

The lending period is within one day, and applicants can borrow the equipment for free after receiving instructions on the use of disinfectants and safety precautions at the community service centers.

On May 11 and 12, the district held a Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting chaired by the mayor to devise measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The district plans to maintain an enhanced daily quarantine system until the situation stabilizes by strengthening quarantine measures at all public facilities in the area and continuously disinfecting multi-use facilities such as subway stations and traditional markets.

Mayor Dongjin Lee of Dobong-gu stated, “Residents who recently visited areas of concern such as Itaewon clubs are urged to get tested quickly to protect their families and those around them,” adding, “We hope residents will actively refrain from visiting group-use facilities such as karaoke rooms and PC cafes and diligently practice daily quarantine. The district will also swiftly implement proactive measures such as establishing quarantine plans to fully protect the lives and safety of residents.”

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