Daegu City "Maintain Social Distancing Level 2 for 2 More Weeks" ... Strengthening Quarantine Measures for 'Hwatu Rooms'

By February 14... Adjustment Possible if Confirmed Cases Stay Below 400 for Over a Week

Photo of Kwon Young-jin, Mayor of Daegu. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] Daegu City held a general quarantine countermeasure meeting on the 31st and decided to maintain the current social distancing implementation plan as is for two weeks until February 14.

The main points are to keep the nationwide ban on private gatherings of five or more people and the operating hours restrictions and suspensions for certain multi-use facilities after 9 PM as they currently are.

The government stated that if the daily average number of patients remains below the Level 2.5 standard (400 people) for more than one week during the two-week application period, it will consider adjusting the level and easing quarantine measures. Accordingly, Daegu City explained that the administrative order's status could be reviewed for changes after one week.

Considering the local quarantine situation and the Lunar New Year holiday, Daegu City decided to maintain strengthened quarantine rules for some facilities or add mandatory facilities.

Due to the raised necessity for quarantine management of 'Hwatu rooms' (senior citizen rest centers), mainly used by vulnerable groups to COVID-19 infection such as seniors aged 70 and above, Daegu City decided to mandate quarantine guidelines including capacity limits and social distancing. Hwatu rooms are mainly concentrated in the Jung-gu area.

Additionally, for training institutions for caregivers and funeral directors, which operate in a business style similar to academies, the same quarantine rules as academies will be applied. During the Lunar New Year holiday period, only non-contact visits (such as video visits) will be allowed at nursing and psychiatric hospitals and social welfare facilities. Strengthened measures such as closures of daycare centers, local children's centers, and senior centers will be maintained as they currently are.

Chae Hong-ho, Deputy Mayor of Daegu City, emphasized, "We have been striving to prepare a social distancing adjustment plan that balances the economy and quarantine measures considering the difficulties faced by self-employed people and small business owners, but it is regrettable that confirmed cases have recently increased nationwide again," adding, "Since stable quarantine management is being maintained through citizens' participation in quarantine, we will mobilize all administrative power to respond with full force."

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