Government Establishes Quarantine Guidelines for Unlicensed Educational Facilities in 'Quarantine Blind Spots'... Prohibits In-Person Activities

Decision to Apply Rules for Boarding Academies and Religious Facilities

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] As cluster infections are spreading recently centered around IM Mission, the government has established quarantine guidelines for unauthorized educational facilities.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced on the 27th, "As of 10 p.m. on the 26th, a total of 297 patients have been confirmed at six facilities nationwide. We have formed an 'Unauthorized Educational Facilities Quarantine Management Task Force' led by the Vice Minister of Education and are responding jointly with related ministries," adding, "We conducted on-site inspections together with local governments for unauthorized educational facilities related to churches (IM Mission) and prepared quarantine guidelines."

The government is currently working to prevent the spread of infection through on-site inspections, testing orders, and epidemiological investigations centered on local governments.

The guidelines apply the quarantine rules for dormitory-type academies to unauthorized educational facilities operated in religious facilities that provide full-day classes and dormitory-style operation for students not attending regular schools. In principle, operating lodging facilities in dormitory-type academies is prohibited. However, operation is allowed if preemptive testing of residents, prohibition of outings, and other related quarantine rules are strictly followed.

For unauthorized educational facilities operated in the form of supplementary classes and commuting type for students attending regular schools, the quarantine rules for religious facilities apply, and all face-to-face activities such as tutoring and small group meetings are prohibited. In religious facilities, all face-to-face activities such as tutoring and learning are banned, and meals and lodging are also restricted. During regular religious activities (worship), users must maintain a distance of at least 2 meters, and only 10% of seats in the metropolitan area and 20% in non-metropolitan areas can participate.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters stated, "Recently, the number of patients has decreased but is showing signs of stagnation, and cluster infections can occur significantly at any time in densely populated, close-contact, and enclosed places such as educational facilities related to churches and other religious facilities," adding, "It is essential to avoid gatherings of many people in enclosed indoor spaces, and even if unavoidable, thorough compliance with quarantine rules through maximum ventilation and mask-wearing is required."

The government appears to have hurriedly issued the guidelines as cluster infections originating from IM Mission rapidly spread. In particular, unauthorized alternative educational facilities have been pointed out as a blind spot in quarantine measures since they do not belong to schools, academies, or religious facilities. As confirmed cases surged at educational facilities operated by IM Mission, the number of domestic COVID-19 confirmed cases rose back to the 500s as of midnight that day, marking the first time in ten days.

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