2단계 거리두기, 유흥5종 집함 금지 및 식당 밤 9시 이후 테이크아웃 배달만
The virus measures in the greater Seoul area will be heightened to the third highest on the five-tier scheme effective midnight tonight.
The aim is to limit time spent at multi-use facilities and to deter people from attending gatherings that are deemed as being non-essential.
Bars and nightclubs will be closed, reglious gatherings limited, on-site dining at restaurants and cafe will be restricted.
Our Kim Do-yeon has the details.
Level Two social distancing,... the third-highest in South Korea's five-tier scheme... will come into effect starting Tuesday in the Greater Seoul Area...to minimize time spent at multi-use facilities and non-essential gatherings.
Five-types of night-life venues will be subject to bans on gatherings.
Singing rooms... must be closed after 9 PM.
Restaurants can invite customers to sit-in until 9 PM, but can only provide take-out and delivery afterwards.
Wedding and funeral venues will not be able to have 100 people or more in at the same time.
Religious activities... less than 20 percent of capacity allowed.
Theaters and concert halls are required to sit audience members apart from one another with food consumption strictly prohibited.
Indoor sports facilities are required to halt operations after 9 PM.
One major change from the second wave in August in the capital area is the cafes.
"Once the level 2 distancing measures start, cafes will only be able to provide takeout services, and this time local, non-franchise cafes are not exempt from the measures."
For independent cafe operators, the next two weeks could be especially tough.
"For independent cafes like us that are not focused on take-out, customers like to sit in and enjoy their coffee while talking... so the impact will be huge."
Meanwhile, PC rooms with partitions will NOT be required to sit their customers apart and will also be able to serve food.
"Previously, for the couple seats we didn't have partitions... and only had short glass screens. But with COVID-19 and the social distancing situation, we installed partitions at all seats."
A "one strike rule" could halt business operations for just one violation... with a fine of up to around 3 million Korean Won, or around 2-thousand 7-hundred U.S. dollars.
Kindergartens, primary schools and middle schools will have to keep their attendance cap at one-third ,... while high schools will be limited to two-thirds.
Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.