Gwangju City Extends Social Distancing Level 1.5 for Two Weeks

Partial Facility Operating Hours Relaxed... City Hall Screening Clinic Open from 4 PM

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 30th that it will extend the social distancing level 1.5 for two weeks until the 13th of next month.

Although a special quarantine week was declared for two weeks starting from the 17th, the average number of confirmed cases in the past week (23?29) was 13.9, similar to the average of 13.4 in the previous week (16?22), prompting this measure.

Double-digit daily confirmed cases continue to occur, and in the past week, new confirmed cases have appeared not only from existing infection routes but also in multiple high-use facilities such as livestock product distribution sites and terminals.

Gwangju City judged that, thanks to citizens' cooperation, large-scale spread has been prevented, but it remains a crisis situation where it is uncertain when the spread might recur.

Due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation, citizens' quarantine fatigue is increasing, and the burden on small business owners continues, so while maintaining the current measures for two weeks, quarantine rules for some facilities will be adjusted.

Operating hours for six types of entertainment facilities (entertainment bars, danran bars, emotional pubs, colateks (including dance halls), hunting pochas, hold'em pubs), karaoke rooms, indoor standing concert halls, party rooms, indoor sports facilities, bathhouses, and reading rooms/study cafes will be adjusted to midnight until 5 a.m. the next day.

For restaurants and cafes, only takeout and delivery will be allowed during the same hours. Other rules such as banning private gatherings of five or more people and prohibiting activities of sports clubs related to recreational sports will remain the same.

However, an administrative order will be issued from the 3rd requiring workers at entertainment facilities and karaoke rooms, where infections are occurring nationwide, to undergo diagnostic testing once every two weeks.

With the arrival of the full heat season, the operating hours of the Gwangju City Hall screening clinic will also change.

From the 31st, it will operate only from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. The operating hours of each district health center will remain unchanged.

Kim Jonghyo, Deputy Mayor of Gwangju City, said, “The day when we can take off masks and return to daily life is not far off, but until then, complacency is forbidden,” and added, “Please endure a little longer and strictly follow the basic quarantine rules.”

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