Wearing Masks Carelessly Outdoors While 'Eating, Drinking, and Talking'... Campsites During Vacation Season Also 'COVID-19 Risk Zones'

Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Min Jun-young, Intern Reporter] As the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea slows down, health authorities are on alert after a cluster infection occurred among members attending a camping club in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province.

According to Sokcho City on the 30th, a couple in their 30s who socialized with camping club members at an outdoor campsite in Hongcheon from the 24th to the 26th tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently in isolation treatment.

The couple appears to have been infected through contact with a confirmed couple from Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, while camping together with a total of 18 people (6 families), including acquaintances residing in Gyeonggi Province.

Among the 18 club members who attended the camping event that day, 6 have so far been confirmed positive for COVID-19.

This is the first occurrence of a COVID-19 case in Sokcho City in four months since the third confirmed case on March 29.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) has so far identified that these individuals camped in the same area of the campsite at close distances.

Health authorities urged that even outdoors, in '3Cs' (closed spaces, crowded places, close-contact settings) such as inside camping tents, preventive measures must be followed.

At the regular briefing that day, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the CDCH, stated, "We confirmed that during the camping activities, additional activities such as group meals, beverage consumption, and conversations took place without proper mask-wearing, and social distancing was not perfectly maintained. We emphasize that even outdoors at summer vacation spots, '3Cs' environments can sufficiently occur, and in such cases, social distancing and mask-wearing are absolutely necessary."

Deputy Director Kwon added, "One cannot feel safe just because it is outdoors at beaches, mountains, or campsites. Cluster infections through camping during the vacation season can lead to new outbreaks or spread in other places and situations."

He continued, "If possible, please take vacations with only your family unit or in small groups, or enjoy your vacation on-site. Group tours or moving many people at once via charter buses and having group meals increase the risk of COVID-19 cluster infections," he added.

He also said, "If vacation season preventive measures are not followed, we may have to endure the anxiety and closures of workplaces and schools experienced after the cluster infection at Itaewon entertainment facilities in May, and may have to pay unnecessary social costs again."

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