Gwangju City "Maintain Level 1.5 from December 1, but Strengthen Facility Quarantine"

Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, is conducting an online briefing on COVID-19 in the city hall briefing room on the afternoon of the 29th. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City will maintain social distancing at level 1.5 starting from the 1st of next month, but will strengthen quarantine rules for each facility.

On the 29th, Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop said in an online briefing regarding COVID-19 response, “The daily average number of confirmed cases in Gwangju is 9.6, which is not a small number. However, since confirmed cases and their contacts can be managed within the quarantine system, we have decided to maintain social distancing at level 1.5,” adding, “This will be applied for two weeks from 0:00 on December 1, and depending on the spread trend, it may be ended early or extended.”

Gwangju City has strengthened quarantine rules for facilities and activities where recent cluster infections have occurred or that have a high risk, while also considering the economic activity contraction of citizens and the hardships of small business owners and self-employed people in case of raising the level.

First, the operation of five types of key management entertainment facilities (nightclubs, colatecs, karaoke bars, emotional pubs, hunting pubs), singing practice rooms, indoor standing concert halls, and restaurants and cafes will be suspended from 0:00 to 5:00 starting December 1.

Also, direct sales promotion centers such as door-to-door sales will tighten the restriction from one person per 4㎡ to one person per 8㎡, and the rule to stop operation after 9 p.m. will remain unchanged.

General management facilities such as bathhouses, arcades and multi-rooms, movie theaters, performance halls, PC rooms, and reading rooms/study cafes will prohibit food consumption.

Indoor sports facilities will not be allowed to conduct intense group exercises (GX types) after 9 p.m.

Wedding halls, funeral halls, beauty salons, amusement parks, shops, marts, and department stores must comply with the current quarantine rules as they are.

Religious activities will limit seating from the current 50% to 30% for regular worship services, and gatherings and meals will continue to be prohibited.

Public facilities will also limit the number of visitors from the current 50% of capacity to 30%, and screen horse racing will be suspended.

Sports games will reduce spectator admission from the current 30% of total seats to 10%.

The scope of mask fine imposition will be expanded to all indoor facilities.

Masks must be worn mandatorily on transportation means such as buses, subways, ships, airplanes, and other vehicles, as well as inside all structures that are enclosed and separated from the outside, and violators will be fined (up to 100,000 KRW for the violator, up to 3 million KRW for facility operators).

Mayor Lee Yong-seop said, “If confirmed cases do not decrease despite this strengthening of quarantine rules, we will consider raising to level 2,” and added, “A moment of carelessness can cause great difficulties and harm not only to oneself but also to those around. For the safety of the Gwangju community and the health of families this year-end and New Year, I earnestly ask you once again to refrain from going out, gatherings, and dinners.”

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