Dongjak-gu, Full Effort in Social Distancing Level 1.5 Quarantine Inspection

Focusing All Efforts on Screening Clinics and Epidemiological Investigations Amid COVID-19 Resurgence... Inspections Expanded to 5,632 Hygiene Facilities Including Restaurants and Beauty Salons

Due to the elevation to social distancing level 1.5, district office employees are visiting buffets and restaurants to check compliance with quarantine rules such as managing visitor logs and maintaining distance between tables.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Dongjak-gu (Mayor Chang-woo Lee) announced that it is making every effort in quarantine activities as social distancing has been raised to level 1.5 due to the resurgence of COVID-19.

From November 1 to 19, 45 confirmed cases occurred in the area. In particular, 31 confirmed cases were reported in the past week, averaging 4.42 cases per day.

The infection routes are becoming diverse, including among family members, acquaintances' gatherings, and workplaces, with cluster infections occurring mainly in multi-use facilities such as ▲schools ▲cafes ▲apartment communities ▲swimming pools within the region.

Accordingly, the district is conducting mass testing for about 1,000 residents who used facilities where confirmed cases occurred, continuously managing them through a dedicated call center that encourages testing and monitors those who have not been tested.

Also, to preemptively block silent transmission, proactive periodic testing will be conducted until the end of this month targeting workers, users, and guardians of high-risk facilities such as ▲nursing hospitals ▲daycare centers.

At the 207th Disaster Safety and Quarantine Countermeasure Meeting held on November 19, Dongjak-gu Mayor Chang-woo Lee requested full support of all resources including personnel and funds for quarantine activities to departments and community service centers for the health center’s prompt response to the COVID-19 spread.

Currently, the district’s screening clinics can conduct up to 500 specimen tests daily, and 101 staff members including health center and audit officers have completed practical training to be deployed on-site for epidemiological investigations, preparing for any emergency.

Quarantine inspections of multi-use facilities will also be strengthened. First, the existing 4,628 hygiene business sites will expand quarantine inspections to include beauty salons, covering a total of 5,632 sites.

Under social distancing level 1.5, for restaurants and cafes, the target businesses expand from facilities over 150㎡ to those over 50㎡, and they must comply with quarantine rules such as ▲visitor log management ▲maintaining distance between tables. Bathhouses must limit the number of people to one per 4㎡ of facility area, beauty salons must limit the number of customers or keep one seat apart, and entertainment facilities prohibit dancing and moving between seats.

Additionally, departments will strengthen compliance checks according to social distancing level 1.5 quarantine standards for facilities such as ▲karaoke rooms ▲PC rooms ▲religious facilities ▲indoor sports facilities ▲academies ▲study cafes.

The district has also established and applied its own operational guidelines by social distancing level for a total of 478 public facilities, including ▲35 indoor and outdoor sports facilities ▲12 cultural facilities such as libraries ▲7 job facilities ▲400 welfare facilities such as daycare centers and senior centers ▲24 other facilities.

Following the Seoul city administrative order mandating mask-wearing, effective since the 13th, an emergency response team has been formed and operates 24 hours a day, conducting enforcement activities such as guidance for mask non-compliance, ▲receiving civil complaints ▲on-site inspections ▲correction orders ▲and fines.

Mayor Chang-woo Lee of Dongjak-gu said, “Currently, we are at a serious crisis stage of COVID-19 resurgence, and the district is concentrating all its capabilities to prevent additional confirmed cases,” adding, “We earnestly ask residents to comply with personal quarantine rules and to immediately visit the nearest screening clinic for testing if COVID-19 symptoms appear or are suspected.”

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