TTSG FYI: A Sanity-Saving Korean Plan
Two+ months into the American lockdown, a translated guide on how to reopen
Hello!
As we make final edits on Episode 6, we wanted to send a quick note about the latest from COVID Translate, a team of bilingual volunteers bringing the Korean central government’s enviably rational pandemic manuals into English.
Yesterday, COVID Translate published “Detailed Guidelines for Routine Distancing in Daily Life,” a document that gives (perhaps premature) hope to those of us stuck inside. It outlines distancing and hygiene measures in various contexts—public transit! dining! schools! stores!—for a resumption of semi-normal societal functioning.
A few examples:
Employers (note that the burden is not put on employees!) should “disinfect public use items (door handles, etc.) and surfaces at least once a day,” “install clear Plexiglass partitions between seats at the cafeteria,” stock hand sanitizer in all meeting rooms, and allow workers “with fever or respiratory symptoms [to] immediately stop work and take leave.”
Public-transit managers should “instruct passengers to wear masks and maintain distance,” adjust passenger distribution during peak commuting hours, and provide safety instructions “through electronic signboards, announcements”—no cops mentioned!
In shopping malls and supermarkets, customers standing in lines should “maintain a distance of over 2m (at least 1m) from other visitors,” “avoid use of cosmetic samples directly on the face or lips” (when was the last time the average American wore makeup?!), and “use electronic methods for payment whenever possible.”
At weddings and family gatherings (they aren’t banned!), tables should be spaced at a 2m distance, guests should be seated “in a zigzag” while eating, and everyone should “refrain from shaking hands.” (Unfortunately, for those of us wishing to see relatives in the motherland, those “who traveled abroad within the last 14 days should not attend.”)
Ah, a glimpse of normal life. There are even specific guidelines for zoos, amusement parks, hair salons, libraries, performance halls, and sports fields.
Bureaucrats of America, please read! Not-so-ancient Asian wisdom, now in English!