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| A woman walks past a singing room in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, Friday, while the attached notice reads that it is closed due to bans imposed on high-risk facilities in the greater Seoul area. / Yonhap |
By Lee Hyo-jin
The government decided Friday to extend the current Level 2 social distancing scheme for another two weeks as part of the strengthened quarantine measures for the upcoming Chuseok long weekend.
The current social distancing guidelines imposed nationwide were initially planned to end at midnight Sunday.
But the health authorities decided to set two weeks from Sept. 28 to Oct. 11 as a special quarantine period to tighten antivirus efforts, as a large number of people are expected to travel across the country to visit their families and relatives. The five-day Chuseok long weekend begins on Sept. 30.
Under the measures, night entertainment facilities including clubs and bars will be closed nationwide. Indoor gatherings of 50 people or more and outdoor events of 100 or more will continue to be prohibited. Sports games including traditional folk games and local festivals can be held without audiences.
The government introduced tougher measures for the metropolitan area compared to rural areas, as the former has recently been showing a resurgence in infections.
In Seoul and its surrounding areas, 11 types of high-risk facilities including sports gyms, buffet restaurants, bars, singing rooms and door-to-door sales companies will be shut down for the next two weeks.
Religious gatherings will continue to be banned. Operation of eateries, cafes and bakeries are allowed under quarantine measures such as keeping a one-meter distance between tables. Theaters and concert halls should limit the number of visitors by reducing seats to 50 percent.
In other regions outside the capital area, the government imposed a one-week shutdown for five types of high-risk facilities including nightclubs, bars and door-to-door sales companies. From Oct. 5 to 11, local governments may choose to reopen the facilities depending on the situation in each area.
Violators of quarantine rules will be fined up to 3 million won ($ 2,558) under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, and may face indemnity claims if the gathering leads to actual infections.
The authorities urged people to refrain from traveling to other cities and to cooperate in the nationwide antivirus efforts.
"How we manage to contain the spread of the virus during the two-week holiday will determine the pandemic situation for the rest of the year," Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said in a press briefing.
Meanwhile, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 114 new COVID-19 infections including 19 imported cases on Friday, raising the total caseload to 23,455. The daily total has stood above 100 for three consecutive days.
