Jeonnam Province to Implement Revised Social Distancing Measures Starting Next Month

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province will expand the number of private gatherings starting next month while strengthening social distancing and enhancing inspections.

The province announced on the 21st that it plans to implement Phase 1 of the revised plan, which simplifies social distancing from 5 levels to 4 levels starting next month and strengthens local government autonomy, as prepared by the government.

This is a revision of a sustainable social distancing system based on vaccination rates, evaluating the effectiveness and limitations of the past three waves.

In the metropolitan area, private gatherings will be expanded to up to 6 people for two weeks until the 14th of next month as a pilot, and in non-metropolitan areas, local governments will autonomously apply restrictions on private gatherings according to the quarantine situation, thereby strengthening autonomy and responsibility.

Levels 1 to 3 will be adjusted by region, and only Level 4 will be decided by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on a nationwide or regional basis.

Phase 1 of the revised plan removes restrictions on the number of private gatherings, allows events and assemblies up to 500 people, and expands the capacity limit for religious facilities to 50% of the seating capacity.

For five types of entertainment facilities, colatecs, dance halls, and holdem pubs, operating hour restrictions will be lifted, and social distancing will be strengthened to one person per 6 square meters of facility area.

However, clubs and nightclubs will have one person per 8 square meters. Sports and spectator venues will allow up to 50% indoor and 70% outdoor capacity.

Phase 1 of the revised plan will be implemented from the 1st of next month. However, whether to ease the current restrictions allowing up to 8 people for private gatherings and up to 4 people for entertainment-related facilities will be carefully reviewed and finalized by the end of this month, considering the trend of confirmed cases, vaccination status, and the recent increase in variant virus infections.

This is to ensure effective quarantine measures for stable management of the epidemic situation and smooth progress of vaccinations amid ongoing small-scale infections due to contact with confirmed cases.

While easing operational restrictions such as working hours for entertainment facility workers, karaoke helpers, and bathhouses, preemptive testing and quarantine inspections will be strengthened.

Religious facilities will allow up to 50% capacity only for regular activities such as worship, but gatherings, events, meals, and lodging should be refrained from. However, if composed only of fully vaccinated individuals, choir, praise teams, and loud prayers are permitted.

Quarantine rules for vaccinated individuals will also change. Starting next month, masks will not be required outdoors two weeks after vaccination.

However, masks must be worn at outdoor events or assemblies where crowds gather, and indoors without exception.

If infected due to violation of quarantine rules, support for living expenses will be excluded, and in case of group infections caused by violation of quarantine rules, claims for damages may be made. Additionally, gatherings will be banned for two weeks separately from fines.

Kang Young-gu, Director of Health and Welfare Bureau of Jeonnam Province, said, “The implementation of the social distancing revision plan may loosen the tension of quarantine due to increased private gatherings, contacts, and mobility,” and added, “We will secure the effectiveness of quarantine by strengthening special inspections while easing private gatherings.”

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