Entertainment spots in unfavorable position following mass infections at restaurant

An official from Gwangjin-gu Office disinfects a restaurant operated as a de facto entertainment establishment, Wednesday, following mass infections there. / Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

Nighttime entertainment establishments such as clubs and hostess bars, which have been unable to operate normally for more than eight months due to social distancing guidelines aimed at stemming COVID-19 outbreaks, have been put in a further unfavorable position following mass infections at a restaurant in Seoul.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG), Friday, a total of 51 infected people have so far been traced to a restaurant in Seoul's Gwangjin District since the first case was reported there Jan. 29.

The location, registered as a general restaurant, was caught having operated as a “hunting pocha,” a Korean style bar in which people can go on blind dates while drinking and dancing, violating distancing regulations banning gatherings at entertainment establishments categorized as facilities with a high risk of infection.

During an epidemiological investigation, the health authorities found that those infected with the virus stayed at the location for a long time, and many patrons did not wear face masks.

The city government decided to charge the owner for expenses incurred during treatment of the patients traced to their “restaurant.”

“We also imposed a 1.5 million won ($1,300) fine for not telling patrons to wear face masks, and suspended its operation for two months for violating the Food Sanitation Act by allowing customers to dance there,” said Park Yoo-mi, a disease control official with the city government.

Following the mass outbreak at the restaurant ― operated as a de facto entertainment establishment ― owners of other entertainment businesses have lost their justification for asking the government to lift a ban on gatherings at such places.

“We have been in danger of going out of business due to the prolonged imposition of these regulations. We were forced to suspend our businesses for more than two thirds of last year,” an association of owners of the entertainment establishments said during a news conference, Jan. 28.

Some claimed that they have been discriminated against, citing that the government recently allowed some businesses, including gyms, to resume operation.

Under the current Level 2.5 social distancing rules ― the second-highest in its five-tier system ― the ban on gatherings at entertainment establishments in the Seoul metropolitan area, which includes Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, will continue until Feb. 14.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said it will decide on whether to adjust the current distancing rules Saturday, it is highly likely to maintain the ban on the entertainment establishments amid continued concerns over mass outbreaks.

For its part, the city government said it will increase inspections of those facilities to see if they are complying with distancing rules.

According to the KDCA, the country added 370 more COVID-19 cases, including 351 local infections, for Thursday, raising the total caseload to 80,131, breaking the 80,000 mark.

The daily new cases fell below 400 for the first time in three days.