Gyeonggi Province Handling COVID-19 Well, But Risks of Resurgence Remain

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hoon] A survey has revealed that while 86% of Gyeonggi Province residents evaluated the province's COVID-19 response positively, 91% still expressed concerns about the possibility of crisis from COVID-19 resurgence.

The province conducted an opinion survey on 1,000 residents on May 16 regarding COVID-19 resurgence following a cluster infection outbreak stemming from Itaewon clubs, and announced the results on May 19.

According to the survey results, 47% of residents answered that they or their family members had a possibility of being infected with COVID-19. This is 10 percentage points lower than the survey results from late February when confirmed cases related to Shincheonji surged in Daegu.

Residents most frequently cited entertainment establishments such as bars and clubs (81%) and recreational facilities such as karaoke rooms and PC rooms (47%) as places with high infection risks. These were followed by bathhouses (20%), educational facilities (11%), and shopping facilities (10%) (multiple responses in 1st and 2nd choices). The results confirm residents' concerns over the cluster infection outbreak stemming from Itaewon clubs.

Reflecting these concerns, the vast majority of residents (91%) predicted that 'there is a possibility of crisis from COVID-19 resurgence.'

An overwhelming majority of residents (97%) also evaluated Gyeonggi Province's administrative order to ban gatherings at entertainment venues as 'the right decision.' They also showed strong agreement (85%) with expanding it to similar entertainment establishments such as hunting pojangmacha (tent bars), PC rooms, game rooms, and karaoke rooms.

Regarding visits to entertainment establishments such as clubs and pubs or recreational facilities such as karaoke rooms amid the COVID-19 situation, 90% of residents answered that 'it is a wrong action because these are places with high risk of cluster infection.' Only 9% responded that 'they think one can visit these places for stress relief if there are no health issues.'

However, the response 'I think one can visit' was 17% among those in their 20s, which was higher than other age groups, and reached 23% when looking at males in their 20s alone.

43% of residents perceived that people 'are not following quarantine guidelines well' since the transition to 'social distancing in daily life' on May 6. 56% answered that people 'are following the guidelines well.' When asked whether the province should return to 'social distancing' if cluster infections of COVID-19 spread centered on entertainment venues, 80% of residents agreed.

Regarding Gyeonggi Province's response to COVID-19, 86% of residents evaluated it as 'doing well.' This is similar to the survey results from April (89%).

Meanwhile, the province also conducted a survey regarding the 'discriminatory overcharging' controversy related to Gyeonggi Province's disaster basic income. 10% of respondents said they had 'directly experienced or heard from those around them' cases of discrimination when using Gyeonggi regional currency after receiving the province's disaster basic income.

These individuals reported experiencing discrimination cases such as ▲demanding higher prices for identical products (43%) ▲requesting additional charges in the name of VAT or fees (28%) ▲in sectors including ▲distribution industry (32%) ▲general restaurants (21%) ▲food and beverage (20%) and other industries, directly or indirectly.

Gwak Yun-seok, director of public relations and planning at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "The recent COVID-19 cluster infection outbreak stemming from Itaewon clubs has reached a controllable level within the quarantine system, which is judged to be a result of Gyeonggi Province's administrative orders," and added, "Since cluster infections can occur again at any time, we urge residents to refrain from visiting infection-vulnerable facilities such as entertainment establishments and to strictly comply with 'social distancing in daily life' quarantine guidelines."

This survey was commissioned by Gyeonggi Province to K-Stat Research, a polling agency, and was conducted via telephone survey on 1,000 residents aged 18 and older on May 16. The confidence level is 95% with a sampling error of ±3.1%p.