"Not Following Social Distancing and Not Wearing Masks" ... Over 10,000 Safety Reports in December

Increase in Reports of Violations of Quarantine Rules at Various Year-End and New Year Events and Gatherings

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Amid the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), more than 10,000 safety reports have already been filed just this month.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, a total of 11,599 reports were received between the 1st and 17th of this month on the 'COVID-19 Safety Report' site operated by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to prevent COVID-19. This is 1,563 more reports than the 10,036 reports filed throughout November.

When safety reporting was first introduced in July, there were only 1,779 reports, but the number increased to 8,071 in August and 8,343 in September. Although it seemed to decrease to 4,654 in October, it rose again in November, exceeding 10,000 reports.

Of the total 44,482 reports received so far, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety explained that 41,418 reports, accounting for 93.1%, have been processed by the relevant local governments and related agencies.

Looking at the contents of the reports, until last month, many reports indicated that quarantine rules were not properly followed in restaurants, indoor sports facilities, cafes, religious facilities, public transportation, and schools. However, recently, there has been an increase in reports related to various year-end and New Year events and small gatherings.

For example, there were reports that social distancing and quarantine rules were not properly observed, such as parties held in close proximity at hotel event halls or many people not wearing masks while serving food at buffets. Additionally, there were numerous reports of violations of social distancing measures, such as karaoke rooms continuing to operate after 9 p.m., despite the requirement to stop operations at that time under Level 2 distancing.

Due to the cold weather, there were opinions that classrooms were not ventilated and city buses kept their windows closed, indicating a need for ventilation. Reports also included cases where visitors at ski resorts crowded while waiting for lifts or renting equipment, requiring management, and cases where facilities did not measure visitors' body temperatures.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters stated that the increase in reports is "a result of the public's sensitive response to the COVID-19 situation, their interest in practicing quarantine, and active participation in safety reporting." The government plans to strengthen joint inspections with local governments and related agencies for multi-use facilities expected to see increased visitors during the year-end and New Year period, based on the reported cases.

The headquarters also urged, "To prevent COVID-19 infection, we ask the public to strictly follow quarantine rules such as wearing masks, avoid visiting 3Cs (crowded, close-contact, and confined) places, and beyond that, cancel all gatherings and appointments and stay at home."

Reports and suggestions regarding violations of COVID-19 quarantine rules or infection prevention can be made via the mobile 'Safety Report' application or through the portal.

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