Jeju to ban partying at guesthouses amid virus spread

South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju said Friday it will ban guesthouses from hosting parties with 10 or more participants, amid concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus.

The decision comes as an owner of a guesthouse in Jeju, along with an employee, tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day.

The guesthouse had hosted parties with guests this week.

Health authorities carried out virus tests on 15 others who had close contact with the two patients. All of them have tested negative.

"We have reached a conclusion that parties at guesthouses can lead to the spread of COVID-19. Thus, we have issued an order to ban gatherings of 10 or more people at guesthouses in the region," Jeju Gov. Won Hee-ryong said in a statement.

Jeju added two additional COVID-19 patients on Friday, raising its total caseload to 21. South Korea has reported 19,077 new coronavirus cases.

To stem the virus spread, South Korea applied Level 2 social distancing in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province for two weeks starting Aug. 16. The government expanded the scheme nationwide Sunday.

However, since the country's virus situation showed no signs of letup, the government decided to extend the Level 2 distancing for one more week Friday, with tighter virus measures to take place from Sunday to Sept. 6 in the greater Seoul area.

Under the Level 2 distancing, indoor gatherings of 50 or more people and outdoor gatherings of 100 or more people are strongly restricted. Sports events must be held without crowds, while facilities with high infection risks, such as bars and internet cafes, have to suspend their business.

If the current restrictions are elevated to the highest level, all gatherings of more than 10 people will be banned. (Yonhap)