Gyeonggi Province Strengthens Enforcement of Quarantine Guidelines Violations

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] In response to the spread of COVID-19 and the heightening of social distancing to Level 2.5, Gyeonggi Province announced on the 14th that it is strengthening enforcement of quarantine guidelines through joint task forces comprised of the province, city and county offices, and police.

The operation of this joint task force is one of Gyeonggi Province's measures to ensure the effectiveness of social distancing, with the province taking a firm approach through administrative power to prevent the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, the joint task force consists of approximately 1,000 members organized into 18 teams of four, comprised of provincial and city/county civil servants and police. Since August, the province has conducted inspections including mask-wearing checks together with city and county offices. After social distancing in the Seoul metropolitan area was elevated to Level 2.5 on the 8th, police resources were strengthened and the joint task force was expanded.

The joint task force is focusing inspections on compliance with quarantine guidelines at facilities with gathering bans such as entertainment establishments, noraebang (singing rooms), indoor standing concert venues, and direct sales promotion centers, as well as at facilities with operating restrictions including restaurants, cafes, movie theaters, PC rooms, beauty and hair salons, game arcades, study rooms, large discount stores, and department stores.

For violations of gathering restrictions and bans, referral for prosecution and fines of up to 3 million won are imposed. For facility operators and managers failing to comply with quarantine guidelines, administrative fines of up to 3 million won are imposed. For not wearing masks, fines of 100,000 won are imposed.

On the 28th of last month and the 10th of this month, the joint task force referred two noraebang establishments in Gimpo and Ansan to police for criminal investigation for violating assembly ban administrative orders and continuing operations, under charges of violating the Infectious Disease Prevention and Management Act.

Additionally, on the 26th of last month and the 7th of this month, two restaurants in Gimpo that were operating inside their stores after 9 p.m. were caught, and each was fined 1.5 million won.

Jo Chang-beom, head of the Autonomous Administration Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "We will continue to take strict measures when quarantine guideline violations are detected to ensure residents' safety," and requested, "We ask residents to refrain from gatherings and travel and cooperate in complying with social distancing and quarantine guidelines."