From September 3, the usage of on-campus cafes in KAIST has been significantly restricted. Eating inside the cafes will not be allowed in most cases. In response to the recent second wave of the coronavirus in Daejeon and South Korea, the KAIST Task Force (TF) for the Prevention of COVID-19 announced these measures on September 2 following an intensive inspection of the on-campus facilities.

On August 23, the Korean government extended the Level 2 social distancing measures from the Seoul metropolitan area to 14 provinces nationwide, including Daejeon. Following the government’s further implementation of “Level 2.5 social distancing” measures for metropolitan areas on August 30, the KAIST TF announced their investigation of the compliance with quarantine rules in cafes on campus. This was carried out from August 31 to September 1.

The conclusions of the TF’s intensive inspections were differentiated into four categories: the use of masks, zigzag seating arrangements, adequate distance between seats, and customer interactions. It was found that both mask usage and the reduction of visitor conversations were satisfactory, despite some instances of customers wearing masks incorrectly. However, the physical distancing requirements were not being fulfilled in most of the cafes. Neither zigzag seating nor adequate distancing (at least 1 m) could be maintained due to space limitations. Furthermore, the guideline of 2 m distancing in queues was not being observed.

As a result of these findings, the TF announced new measures for cafe use. First, the indoor consumption of food has been banned, except for individual students who maintain a distance of 2m. Using the cafe’s outdoor seating areas is allowed, provided that adequate distance is maintained. Second, when using take-out services for a group, only one person should enter the cafe to order. Third, cafe visitors must remain at least 1 m apart while queuing. The General Affairs team will provide floor stickers to support cafes in this requirement. 

The TF asked for cooperation and understanding from all KAIST members in observing good social distancing practice. The restrictions mentioned above will remain in place until further notice.