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| Visitors enjoy the "Shooting Water Fun" event held at Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, June 22. Yonhap |
By Yoon Ja-young
Hundreds of people gathered for water gun fights at Everland, the country's largest theme park, as more people are loosening up on social distancing measures. Experts warn that wet masks will not protect wearers against transmission of COVID-19.
Everland is offering the "Shooting Water Fun" events at its Carnival Square for the summer, in which people have a large-scale water gun fight at the end of an exciting performance.
The theme park does ask visitors to wear masks and keep social distancing. It has even marked spots on the ground where each participant is supposed to stand, but it was impossible to enforce this as hundreds of excited people gathered there during the weekend.
Furthermore experts say the chances of virus transmission are increased since wet masks become ineffective once water starts being spraying around and all over participants.
"With many people gathering, it is difficult to maintain social distancing at events like the water gun fight at Everland," said Sohn Young-rae, a director at the Central Disaster Management Headquarters, at a June 28 media briefing.
"When a mask is wet, it loses its capability to block droplets. They can pass through the masks while people are talking," he said.
Sohn said that those in their 20s to 50s who haven't been vaccinated should especially refrain from participating in such events.
While the Central Disaster Management Headquarters is scheduled to request the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as well as Gyeonggi Province government to examine the event held at Everland, the theme park announced on its website that it would suspend the event for the time being.
The Everland case reflects the reality that more people are prematurely loosening their adherence to social distancing rules while the government is scheduled to implement relaxed measures from July 1.
Seoul's Gangnam Police Station reported that it found around 300 guests and employees gathered for an event held at a cafe on a boat Saturday night in Apgujeong-dong, southern Seoul, violating the social distancing rule that says less than 100 people can gather at events held in metropolitan areas. Participants were eating and drinking together and many fled when police arrived on the scene.
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