폭염 속 워터파크 개장...물놀이, 새로운 방역 수칙과 코로나 전파 위험은?

It's been delayed by about two months, but South Korea's water parks are opening albeit gradually.
In years past they would've seen 10 thousand visitors a day, but now they're getting only a few hundred.
Choi Jeong-yoon has this report.
The start of a sizzling summer has once again brought people to South Korea's biggest water park.
"It was really boring and stuffy inside. Now it's really hot, I came with my sisters to play and enjoy summer."
However, because of the COVID 19 pandemic, 'cooling off' is more complicated. Using a QR system, visitors fill out their personal details, whether they've visited any infected area within the past two weeks and list any potential symptoms. Standing 2 meters apart, they have their temeratures taken as they enter. If they're over 37.5 degrees Celsius, they're not allowed in.
"Once visitors are inside the park, they must wear face masks at all times, apart from when they are in the water. When taking a dip, visitors are advised to take their masks in this plastic bag that's provided at the front gate to stop the masks getting wet."
"Wet masks make breathing difficult. So with no masks in the pool, we advise social distancing."
Riding waterslides is also different. All tubes are thoroughly disinfected before being handed out. Also a tube that used to take up to six people,...is now limited to 3 people sitting further apart.
Can the virus spread in water from the saliva of an infected person?
"The probability is very low. Pools contain chlorine. When mixed with water, the density is sharply lowered,... and the risk of spread is greatly reduced."
Infections are most likely to occur in enclosed and crowded environments...like locker rooms.
The park emptied out all publicly shared materials...and lockers are spaced out, only one in five of the top ones are available...to ensure visitors remain at least 2 meters apart.
In addition, the park's capacity has been reduced from 20 thousand to one thousand people.
Choi Jeong-yoon, Arirang News.