CDSCHQ: "Somewhat Inadequate Management of Staffing Agencies and Hambajip" (Comprehensive)

Inspection of 14 Locations Including Seoul and Gyeonggi Staffing Agencies and Hambajip
Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Considering Expanding High-Risk Facility Designation to Prevent Infection Spread
Mandatory Application of Quarantine Rules Upon Designation
Fines or Gathering Bans Imposed if Violations Detected

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] A government inspection revealed that quarantine management at labor offices and construction site cafeterias (Hambasikdang) in the Seoul metropolitan area, where cluster infections of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are spreading, is somewhat insufficient.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) announced on the 14th the results of an inspection conducted from the 9th to the 11th on how well quarantine rules were being followed at nine labor offices and five Hambasikdang in the Seoul and Gyeonggi areas.

Son Young-rae, head of the Strategic Planning Division at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, stated at a briefing held at the Government Seoul Office on the same day, "To slow the spread of infection, we are in the process of expanding the designation of high-risk facilities vulnerable to cluster infections, and we are focusing inspections on vulnerable facilities that have been overlooked."

According to the CDSCH inspection results, daily labor offices showed a high risk of infection as workers waited in crowded, confined spaces, removing masks and talking. However, rules such as providing hand sanitizer, temperature checks, and mask-wearing were relatively well followed.

In the case of Hambasikdang, dedicated cafeterias used at large-scale construction sites generally complied well with quarantine rules, but general cafeterias used at small-scale construction sites were found to need improvement. Quarantine rules such as staggering workers' meal times or arranging seats in a row to maintain distance between people were not properly observed, and enhanced disinfection was also deemed necessary.

From the 12th over two days, 47 facilities including karaoke rooms, entertainment bars, colatecs, and indoor sports facilities in three areas?Yangcheon-gu in Seoul, Bupyeong-gu in Incheon, and Yongin-si in Gyeonggi Province?where confirmed cases have recently surged, were also inspected. Some facilities were found to have failed to properly conduct temperature checks or enforce mask-wearing.

The government’s quarantine inspections of certain facilities reflect concerns over cluster infections occurring in 'blind spots' where the quarantine network has not been fully effective. The aim is to block the chain of infection spread by expanding high-risk facilities and identifying more vulnerable facilities to include in the quarantine management network.

Accordingly, the list of high-risk facilities, currently consisting of eight types, is being discussed to include highway rest areas and Hambajip (laborer cafeterias). Relevant ministries and local governments are jointly compiling and presenting lists of facilities vulnerable to cluster infections and the reasons for their vulnerability. Once designated as high-risk facilities, quarantine rules that were previously only recommendations will become administrative orders. Violations will be subject to penalties such as fines up to 3 million won or business suspension orders under related laws.

Son said, "We will reassess risks with experts based on the results collected by the end of this week and finalize additional high-risk facilities by next week or the week after. The central government and local governments are inspecting about 30,000 places daily, and we will add these facilities to conduct daily inspections."

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