“Medical Staff Also Confirmed” Gwangju Maintains Level 1...Significantly Strengthened Quarantine Rules

Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop is holding an online briefing on COVID-19 at the city hall briefing room on the afternoon of the 15th. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City has reported 24 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in the past week. While maintaining the COVID-19 response at Level 1, the city will significantly strengthen quarantine measures.

On the 15th, Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop stated in an online briefing regarding the COVID-19 response, "To promptly block the spread of local infections, from the 16th, the COVID-19 response will remain at Level 1, but quarantine rules will be significantly strengthened."

Mayor Lee emphasized, "The COVID-19 situation in Gwangju is still controllable within the quarantine management system," but added, "Local infections have occurred in multi-use facilities closely related to citizens' lives such as general hospitals, entertainment facilities, pubs (hof), and universities. With the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) just 18 days away, it is a critical time to implement strengthened measures to firmly block the spread of local infections."

Accordingly, from the 16th, Gwangju will strengthen mandatory quarantine rules for nine types of priority management facilities.

In entertainment facilities (including nightclubs, colatecs, karaoke bars, emotional pubs, and hunting pochas), dancing and moving between seats will be prohibited. Door-to-door sales will not be allowed to operate after 9 PM.

All restaurants and cafes larger than 50㎡ must strictly adhere to core quarantine rules such as wearing masks, managing visitor logs (mandatory electronic entry logs), and regular ventilation and disinfection.

Due to multiple confirmed cases recently occurring while removing masks to eat in enclosed spaces, eating and drinking will be prohibited in singing practice rooms, indoor standing concert halls, door-to-door sales venues, indoor sports facilities, and religious facilities.

For all gatherings and demonstrations, large-scale concerts, festivals, and academic events, gatherings of 500 or more people are prohibited. Even when events are held with fewer than 500 people, core quarantine rules must be strictly followed.

The mask mandate and fines for violations will be extended to outdoor sports stadiums and religious facilities.

Mayor Lee said, "Among the 34 locally transmitted confirmed cases in the past six days, 25 were in their 20s and 30s, accounting for 73.5% of the total," and urged, "If anyone in their 20s or 30s has visited pubs or entertainment establishments in the past two weeks and shows symptoms, please do not hesitate to visit the nearest screening clinic for a COVID-19 test."

He added, "Although the COVID-19 response level remains at Level 1, if the local infection situation worsens, including at Chonnam National University Hospital, we will have no choice but to immediately raise the quarantine response level to 1.5. We earnestly ask for the active and voluntary cooperation of citizens to prevent daily life and the economy from stopping again."

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