"Don't Gather? We're Fine" 20s and 30s 'Party Room' COVID-19 Spread Concerns

Some 20s and 30s Attend Various Small Group Party Rooms via SNS to Enjoy Year-End
Closed, Close Contact, Crowded '3C Environment'... Concerns Over COVID-19 Spread
Government "Please Cancel All Gatherings and Meetings... We Earnestly Request"

Through social networking services such as Twitter and Facebook, small gatherings are taking place, leading to the continued spread of the novel coronavirus infection. The government has urged people to refrain from small gatherings, including party rooms. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "Looking for people to join a party room." , "This room is amazing. Let's hang out together!"

As of the 18th, the number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea has again exceeded 1,000, marking three consecutive days of over 1,000 cases following the 16th and 17th (1,078 and 1,014 cases respectively). The government is making every effort to contain the spread of the COVID-19 'third wave,' including considering raising social distancing to level 3.

In particular, gatherings in accommodations and party rooms among people in their 20s and 30s have continued, leading to a ban on such gatherings. However, private gatherings hosted by individuals are still allowed, raising concerns that so-called 'party room-originated' COVID-19 infections could spread through various small group meetings.

On social networking services (SNS) such as Twitter, Facebook, and KakaoTalk open chats, posts with titles like "OO area. Let's gather in a party room," "Party room ready, men closed," and "Year-end party party room" encouraging small group gatherings can be easily found.

A party room refers to a large room where one or more people can enter and hold a party. As bars and restaurants have been forced to stop operations after 9 p.m. or face related restrictions due to the spread of COVID-19, the trend of holding gatherings in party rooms has been spreading among younger age groups. This is a kind of balloon effect.

The problem is the risk of COVID-19 infection. Party rooms, frequently visited by people in their 20s and 30s, are close to a '3C environment'?closed spaces, close contact, and crowded places?where COVID-19 can easily spread.

In fact, on the 26th of last month, citizens who met through a smartphone application (app) held offline small group meetings and subsequently experienced cluster infections of COVID-19. According to Seoul City, among the 204 confirmed cases in the city on that day, 15 were linked to 'app-related small group meetings.'

Park Yu-mi, Director of the Seoul City Citizen Health Bureau, explained at a briefing held at Seoul City Hall that day, "After the first confirmed case in Gwanak-gu on the 25th, 15 additional people, including acquaintances, were confirmed positive through small group meetings via the app, making a total of 16 related confirmed cases."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

As people attend various small group meetings and party rooms through apps or SNS, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported that the proportion of confirmed cases in their 20s and 30s in November was 31.4%, higher than the 22% recorded in September.

In response to this situation, the government has banned parties and events hosted by accommodations and party rooms in the metropolitan area until the 28th. However, private parties hosted by individuals are still permitted. Although the government strongly recommends banning such gatherings, it is only a recommendation, and non-compliance is possible.

This kind of 'blind spot' in quarantine measures combined with a 'COVID-19 insensitivity' among some young people in their 20s and 30s is raising concerns that the spread of COVID-19 may intensify.

Citizens viewing this situation are critical. Mr. Lee, a company employee in his 40s, said, "The scary thing about COVID-19 is that it’s not just about one person getting infected; it has strong transmissibility." He added, "People will likely take off their masks and drink in party rooms, so the risk of infection seems high. Also, those who enjoyed themselves like that could spread the disease to their families or others."

Mr. Kim, an office worker in his 30s, said, "I wish people would hold back a bit from enjoying party rooms." He pointed out, "Isn't the number of new confirmed cases now exceeding 1,000? Everyone suffers if they get COVID-19." He continued, "Some people follow quarantine rules well, while others just drink and hang out in rooms. It’s very frustrating," raising his voice in criticism.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The government has appealed for restraint in various small group meetings, including party rooms. On the morning of the 17th, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting at the Government Seoul Office, expressed regret over the surge in small group reservations at hotels, party rooms, and pensions ahead of Christmas and the year-end holidays amid the COVID-19 situation, urging cancellations.

Prime Minister Chung said, "Although large-scale gatherings and events have decreased, small-scale gatherings mainly among young people have increased to the point where there are no vacant rooms in Gangwon-do or Jeju-do." He added, "Most citizens are on edge every day about the number of confirmed cases and are working together to reverse the spread of COVID-19, so this is truly regrettable."

Regarding gatherings occurring amid the spread of COVID-19, he appealed, "For this year-end, I earnestly ask everyone to cancel all meetings and gatherings for the safety of your beloved family, friends, and colleagues, and to avoid contact with others."

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