Ministry of Health and Welfare

(4.21.) Regular Briefing of Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on COVID-19

- ▲Follow-up measures of social distancing by sector,
▲measures to resume the operation of public outdoor sports facilities,
▲measures to resume the operation of outdoor facilities such as national parks, and
▲measures to resume the operation of outdoor facilities such as recreational forests, etc. -

□ The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters held a meeting today presided over by Head Chung Sekyun (Prime Minister) along with the central government and 17 cities and provinces to discuss agendas including the ▲follow-up measures of social distancing by sector, ▲measures to resume the operation of public outdoor sports facilities, ▲measures to resume the operation of outdoor facilities such as national parks, and ▲measures to resume the operation of outdoor facilities such as recreational forests at the Central Disaster and Safety Management Centre in Government Complex Seoul.

□ Head Chung stressed, at the meeting, that the government should fully communicate with the people to enhance their acceptance of social distancing, and that all public officials should make utmost efforts for the successful transition to a stage of the so-called “social distancing in daily life” drive by maintaining the number of new infections at a stable level, starting May 6.

○ In addition, he directed the relevant ministries and local governments to make efforts to find out viable measures to resolve farmers’ difficulties, pointing out that COVID-19 has brought devastating damage to farmers as well.

1. Follow-up measures of social distancing by sector

□ The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters discussed the follow-up measures of social distancing announced on April 19.

○ Apart from those public outdoor facilities about which the authorities discussed relevant measures today to resume their operation, such as national parks and recreation forests, the government plans to thoroughly prepare the measures for quarantine and operation of other facilities in consideration of each facility’s risks based on its characteristics, and then implement them according to the result of adjusting the level of social distancing.

□ In addition, the government will prepare quarantine guidelines for the transition to “social distancing in daily life” as soon as possible, and unveil them step by step so that the public can learn in advance and apply them to their daily life.

○ The government will unveil tomorrow the draft of basic guideline on social distancing in everday life for communities and individuals, review, on the coming Friday, the draft of specific guidelines tailored to each type of the living environment and facilities that people frequently use in their daily life, and confirm and distribute the guidelines after collecting feedback from stakeholders and Life Quarantine Committee reviewing them.

□ Also, in order to smoothly implement the follow-up measures of social distancing, the government will establish a system for “social distancing in daily life” drive and push for revision of laws and regulations.

○ Each ministry and local government plans to form an organization dedicated to preparation for “social distancing in daily life” and its settlement, and the government will also launch a task force (TF), along with relevant ministries, to discuss institutional support measures.

○ In addition, the government plans to push for a revision of the “Act on the Prevention and management of Infectious Diseases” to establish new regulations, including fines, to provide legal grounds for basic provisions that individuals and organizations must abide by.

2. Measures to resume the operation of public outdoor sports facilities

□ The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters plans to reopen public outdoor sports facilities such as soccer and baseball fields and small-scale playgrounds on a limited basis, operated by each local government during the social distancing period (April 20 to May 5).

○Depending on the regional situations such as the trend of the newly confirmed cases and the characteristics of facilities (whether or not a sport requires close contact), the relevant local government is required to decide whether to resume the operation of the facilities.

○When resuming operation, facilities should be operated in compliance with the “Detailed Quarantine Guidelines for Public Outdoor Sports Facilities”, but the guidelines can be flexibly applied taking into consideration the local government and facilities’ characteristics.

* <Main details of quarantine guidelines> ▲ Resume operation after the quarantine work is completed, ▲ Restrict those who show symptoms or travel abroad within the last 2 weeks from using facilities, ▲ In order to prevent users’ close contact, limit the operation hours and the number of users, and restrict lessons which need close contact, ▲ Conduct fever-checking and wear face masks.

○ In addition, events and sporting events at public outdoor sports facilities should be gradually held from necessary ones to those with few or no spectators.

3. Measures to resume the operation of outdoor facilities such as National parks

□ The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters plans to prepare for the transition to “social distancing in daily life” by establishing a sequential opening plan for outdoor facilities such as campsites, eco-tourism centers, and public zoos.

□ Taking the concerns over visitors’ infection into consideration, the resumption of national parks shall be maintained at the current level (only 29 parking lots out of 90 facilities open) for the period of social distancing drive, but plans will be drawn up for sequential opening of facilities for stay such as campsites and eco-tourism centers.

○ If it is shifted to “social distancing in daily life” after May 6, open-type campsites with low risk will gradually reopen first* and additional facilities for stay such as eco-tourism centers and private lodging villages will be open only when the infectious disease crisis alert is lowered to the “alert” level.

* Up to 50 percent of a total of 2,770 campsites will be open in consideration of separation distance.

□ Twenty public zoos across the country will open outdoor facilities on the premise of implementing the quarantine guidelines, while the National Institute of Ecology and National Institute of Biological Resources will gradually resume operation starting from outdoor exhibition areas.

○ From the fourth week of February, indoor facilities in all public zoos, National Institute of Ecology and National Institute of Biological Resources have been closed, and only 5 zoos* are currently operating outdoor facilities on a limited basis.

* Seoul Grand Park, Dalseong Park, Jeju Nature Park, Daejeon O-World, Animal Village of Chungnam Research Institute of Forest Resources

□ In order to prevent infection of COVID-19, detailed quarantine guidelines for each facility, such as national parks and zoos, will be prepared and the operation of facilities will be gradually expanded.

4. Measures to resume the operation of outdoor facilities such as recreational forests, etc.

□ The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters plans to sequentially allow access to outdoor facilities at lower risk such as natural recreation forests and arboretums.

○ National outdoor facilities scheduled to resume operations on April 22 (Wednesday) and onwards include 43 natural recreation forests, two arboretums, one National Center for Forest Therapy and 10 healing forests, but accommodation facilities are excluded.

○ Out of the outdoor facilities operated by individuals or local governments, those currently suspended from operation plan to be allowed to reopen on the condition that they comply with opening schedule and operating guidelines of the national outdoor facilities.

□ The authorities are mulling over reopening some accommodations and indoor exhibition halls with a size of less than 10 people first followed by opening campsites and accommodation facilities with more than 10 people in accordance with COVID-19 crisis alert level.