Preemptive Testing Upon Return from Vacation in Public Service... Comprehensive Inspection of Water Play Facilities (Comprehensive)

Ministry of Personnel Management, Ministry of Employment and Labor, and 4 Other Ministries Jointly Announce
Measures to Promote Routine Daily Quarantine by Sector

On the 19th, commuters wearing masks are moving through Gwanghwamun Station of the Seoul subway during the morning rush. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] To prepare for the resurgence of COVID-19, the government has mandated that public officials undergo proactive rapid antigen testing upon returning from vacation. In response to the increase in visitors to large-scale performances and amusement facilities, on-site and safety inspections will also be strengthened.

On the 27th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, together with six government ministries, announced sector-specific plans to normalize daily quarantine practices. Lee Sang-min, the 2nd Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety), stated at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the 27th, "From today until the end of August, public officials will conduct proactive rapid antigen tests upon returning from vacation," adding, "We will implement enhanced quarantine measures such as refraining from unnecessary meetings and business trips and prioritizing remote meetings."

Additionally, the Ministry of Personnel Management has urged voluntary social distancing by ensuring strict compliance with quarantine rules when performing essential official duties and encouraging the reduction or avoidance of unnecessary events, gatherings, and dinners. Furthermore, officials who have come to work are advised to stagger their commuting and lunch hours to prevent infections.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that it will actively recommend symptomatic workers to take leave. Kim Cheol-hee, Director of Industrial Safety and Health Policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, said, "Regarding the use of leave, the government plans to actively inform through business and labor organizations and related agencies about the current system in operation, especially adopting communication methods that allow individual workers to directly access information via the internet."

For family care leave users taking leave due to family infections, an emergency support system providing 50,000 KRW per day for up to 10 days will be promoted. Since March, the government has been implementing this COVID-19 family care cost emergency support program, with the application period running until December 16.

The Ministry of Education, in anticipation of the full summer vacation period, strongly recommends switching academies to remote classes and refraining from group activities. This aims to prevent the spread of infections caused by group activities such as various experiences, play, and field trips organized by academies. Currently, the Ministry of Education is conducting on-site inspections with cooperation from academy groups and related ministries.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will strengthen quarantine management for large-scale performances and amusement facilities where visitor numbers are increasing.

First, mask-wearing guidance and on-site inspections will be intensified at venues such as theaters, cinemas, karaoke rooms, PC cafes, and sports stadiums. This includes verifying compliance with rules such as ventilating at least three times a day, maintaining hand hygiene environments, and prohibiting vocal cheering while eating or drinking.

Joint public-private safety inspections and quarantine status checks will be conducted at a total of 852 indoor sports facilities. For 213 water play-type amusement facilities, comprehensive inspections through joint and local government self-inspections will be carried out from the 21st of last month until the 31st of next month.

Additionally, 2,800 personnel will be deployed for on-site quarantine management at movie theaters, and quarantine supplies will be provided to the hotel and condo industries.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy recommends disinfecting and ventilating vulnerable areas such as food courts in retail sectors like marts and department stores to prevent infections among visitors and workers, and advises refraining from offering food tasting and sampling.

Kim Hong-joo, Director of the Mid-sized Enterprise Policy Division at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, explained, "To manage the health of retail workers who interact with customers, we will check daily for symptoms and strive to create a work environment where employees can rest if they are sick. In cases where tasting and sampling corners must be operated for food promotion, special management zones for eating and drinking will be designated within stores, with daily disinfection and ventilation, and sampling corners will be spaced at least 3 meters apart to ensure safe consumption."

Baek Kyung-ran, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, emphasized, "Normalizing daily quarantine is not a uniform social distancing based on legal obligations, so the participation and cooperation of the public are more crucial than ever. When each citizen adheres to personal quarantine rules in daily life, we can overcome this crisis well."

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