Multi-use Facilities That Were Closed Reopen Except Entertainment Venues and Hold'em Pubs... Tolling on Highways During Lunar New Year Holiday Under Review (Comprehensive Report 2)

Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Adjusts Quarantine Rules from the 18th
Indoor Cafe Dining Allowed · In-Person Church Services Permitted
February 1-14 Lunar New Year Special Quarantine Period... Toll Charges Under Review

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Seo So-jeong and Choi Dae-yeol] Most multi-use facilities such as health clubs, academies, and karaoke rooms, which had been closed due to social distancing measures, will resume operations starting the 18th. Entertainment venues like clubs and hunting pochas, as well as holdem pubs, will remain closed. Cafes, which were previously limited to takeout and delivery, can now operate in-store before 9 p.m., similar to restaurants. Churches will also allow some in-person services.

The government has designated February 1 to 14 as a special quarantine period for Lunar New Year to prevent the spread of infections during the holiday and is considering implementing toll fees on highways.

At a regular briefing on the 16th, Kwon Deok-cheol, the first head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH), stated, "The metropolitan area will extend social distancing at level 2.5, and non-metropolitan areas at level 2, for an additional two weeks," adding, "Although the third wave's spread has been curbed and is showing a decline, the situation is not yet safe."

Kwon explained, "The average daily confirmed cases last week were 516, which is not a sufficient decrease and still below the level 2 criteria," and added, "The winter season, when the virus is more active, will last for another two months, and relaxing quarantine measures carries the risk of resurgence." Accordingly, the plan is to consider lowering the distancing level once the weekly average daily cases enter the 400 range, which meets the level 2 standard, after assessing the risk.

Consider Lowering Distancing When Daily Average Cases Enter 400 Range

According to the distancing adjustment plan announced by the CDSCH on the same day, the metropolitan area’s level 2.5 and non-metropolitan area’s level 2 will be extended for two weeks until midnight on the 31st of this month. The ban on private gatherings of five or more people will also continue for two more weeks. Events with 50 or more participants are prohibited in the metropolitan area, and those with 100 or more in non-metropolitan areas, with other quarantine rules for each level maintained.

Kwon said, "Currently, about 40% of infections in the third wave are due to personal contact, so it is necessary to continue reducing private gatherings and travel."

Some measures, which had been criticized for fairness issues mainly by various associations, have been revised. Cafes can now allow in-store dining until 9 p.m., provided they follow quarantine rules like restaurants. Restaurants and cafes with facility approval or reported areas exceeding 50㎡ can use only half of their seating by spacing tables or seats one seat apart. If this is difficult, a 1-meter distance between tables or partitions must be installed. Masks must be worn when not eating, and violators will be fined 100,000 KRW.

Indoor Sports Facilities, Academies, Karaoke Rooms Allowed to Operate... Subject to 1 Person per 8㎡ and Before 9 p.m.

In the metropolitan area, all multi-use facilities except entertainment venues (clubs, entertainment pubs, colatecs, danran pubs, hunting pochas, emotional pubs) and holdem pubs will have their gathering bans lifted. Facilities such as gyms, indoor sports facilities, academies, karaoke rooms, indoor standing performance halls, and direct sales promotion centers will open with restrictions. Most multi-use facilities had been subject to gathering bans until now.

The facility area principle is one person per 8㎡, with a warning issued for the first violation and a 10-day suspension for the second. Basic quarantine rules such as wearing masks, stopping operations after 9 p.m., prohibiting food consumption, managing visitor lists, ventilation, and disinfection must be followed.

Facilities that have had their gathering bans lifted must post the allowed number of users at entrances. Direct sales promotion centers are limited to one person per 16㎡. Intense group exercise (GX) is prohibited in indoor sports facilities, and shower rooms cannot be used. Academies may allow singing and wind instrument lessons only one-on-one per classroom, with up to four people allowed if partitions are installed. Academy lodging facilities remain prohibited.

Karaoke rooms can allow up to four people per room, but the room must be disinfected and left unused for 30 minutes after each use. Coin karaoke rooms follow the same quarantine rules as regular karaoke rooms, and if one person per 8㎡ is difficult, one person per room is allowed. Public sports facilities and libraries voluntarily closed by local governments can now operate at levels similar to private facilities.

Operations Must Stop After 9 p.m.... Concerns Over Infection During Increased Secondary Activities

The government will continue to enforce the operation stop after 9 p.m. for facilities such as restaurants. Kwon said, "Currently, under the social distancing rules, 14 types of facilities in the metropolitan area and six types in non-metropolitan areas are restricted from operating after 9 p.m., and there were opinions to partially ease this. However, after 9 p.m. is when secondary activities after dining increase, and extending operating hours could weaken social risk awareness and increase meetings and movement."

He added, "We also considered that the ban on gatherings of five or more and the operation stop after 9 p.m. have synergistically contributed to the decrease in cases," and explained, "This time, we will maintain these measures and reassess the situation after two weeks."

Only Window Seats Sold for Train Tickets... Indoor Dining Banned at Rest Stops

Additionally, the government has designated February 1 to 14 as a special quarantine period for Lunar New Year and is considering toll fees on highways to reduce movement. Kwon requested, "We ask the public to refrain from visiting hometowns, relatives, and traveling during this Lunar New Year," adding, "The possibility of a significant decrease in the third wave by the holiday is low, and if precautions are not taken, parents, family, relatives, and neighbors could be at risk."

Accordingly, train tickets will be sold only for window seats, highway toll fees will be considered, and passenger numbers on coastal ferries will be limited to about 50% of capacity to reduce overall movement.

Highway rest stops will operate congestion guidance systems and ban indoor dining (only takeout allowed) to prevent crowding. National and public cultural and arts facilities will operate by reservation, and nursing hospitals and facilities with high risk of cluster infections will enforce visitation bans according to social distancing levels.

Kwon concluded, "Just as we spent last Chuseok without COVID-19 spread through special quarantine measures, we ask everyone to unite so that this Lunar New Year can be a holiday where hearts are together rather than meetings," and said, "If we maintain our current efforts until mid-February when the special quarantine measures end, we can surely overcome the third wave and enter a stable response phase."

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