The South Korean capital city of Seoul is taking a unique approach in its fight against COVID-19: slow BPMs.
With cases spiking, the South Korean Health Ministry recently implemented strict new guidelines, including a ban on music faster than 120 BPM at gyms, according to The Korea Herald. In addition, treadmills cannot go faster than six kilometers an hour (about 3.72 MPH).
According to the ministry, the rules are meant to encourage mask-wearing. Their logic is that the less intense the workout, the easier it is to wear a mask and prevent the spread.
The announcement comes as Seoul finds itself the epicenter of a new outbreak. On Sunday, South Korea reported 1,100 new COVID-19 cases. 775 of those came from Seoul. As of Tuesday, 1,615 cases have been reported with a seven-day average of 1,308.
On Friday, South Korean Prime Minister put Seoul under Phase 4 of their social distancing guidelines, the country’s strictest phase thus far. Under Phase 4, Seoul’s 25 million citizens cannot gather in groups of two after 6:00 PM. On top of this, events such as weddings and funerals can only be attended by family.
Schools ranging from kindergarten to high school will also move back online until their summer break as the country fights to contain the outbreak.
