"Please Do Not Come" Summer Beach Opening... Will COVID-19 Spread?

July-August Peak Vacation Season... Major Beaches Nationwide Open
Government Recommends Private Companies Stagger Vacation Periods
Experts "High Risk of Nationwide COVID-19 Spread During Vacation Season... Strengthen Quarantine Measures"

On the morning of the 1st, when 11 designated beaches in Jeju Island simultaneously opened, vacationers visiting Geumnung Beach in Jeju City were enjoying water activities. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] As the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is sporadically spreading across the country, concerns among citizens are growing with the approach of the peak vacation season. This is because domestic travel destinations are becoming crowded, raising the risk of nationwide COVID-19 spread. Overseas travel has become difficult due to COVID-19, and most summer vacations are concentrated in July and August.

Experts warned that the risk of COVID-19 infection increases when crowd density rises even outdoors such as at beaches and recreational forests, urging people to comply with personal quarantine rules.

On the 1st, major beaches nationwide officially opened simultaneously for the vacation season. Seven public beaches in the Busan area, including Gwangalli, Dadaepo, Imrang, Ilgwang, and Songjeong beaches, officially opened on this day, along with Jinha and Ilsan beaches in Ulsan and 11 designated beaches in Jeju Island. The quarantine authorities are implementing a summer season social distancing campaign by lowering crowd density through measures such as ▲beach reservation systems ▲congestion traffic lights ▲reducing the number of parasols and other leisure facilities, and maintaining at least 2 meters of distance.

The problem is that these quarantine rules are difficult to follow in practice and hard to enforce. Due to the nature of places where water splashes, wearing masks is difficult, and even if the spacing between parasols is adjusted, tourists may come into contact while moving around. Moreover, there is criticism that government measures to reduce crowd density are limited to beaches. There are high concerns about contact when visitors to tourist spots visit nearby restaurants or shops, but measures addressing this are insufficient.

As a result, residents living near tourist destinations are expressing anxiety.

A 23-year-old university student A living in Suyeong-gu, Busan said, "I understand that many merchants rely on summer business since it is a tourist city, but given the current situation, I hope people do not come. Not going on vacation once won't kill anyone. If a cluster infection occurs here, the damage will be greater," he said.

B, a 30-something office worker who has been living in Jeju Island for two years due to business reasons, said, "When I see tourists around here, more people are not wearing masks. The beach would be even worse," adding, "Who wears a mask while playing in the water at the beach? That's nonsense," raising his voice.

He added, "If people who came into contact at vacation spots get infected in clusters, they will blame individuals. In fact, it is the government's fault for opening the doors allowing crowds to gather," he said.

Vacationers visiting Haeundae Beach in Busan, which opened on the 1st / Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, local governments have repeatedly urged tourists to comply with personal quarantine rules.

On the 1st, Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong issued a statement saying, "We fully understand and welcome the footsteps of people visiting Jeju to comfort their frustrated and tired hearts, but we hope they also come with the mindset of actively participating in preventing the spread of COVID-19," emphasizing, "Recently, the number of travelers not wearing masks at beaches and tourist spots has noticeably increased. The risk of infection spread remains, and with 20 to 30 local infections occurring nationwide, it is unacceptable to take off masks in Jeju just because you are on a trip, unlike in Seoul city center where masks are never removed."

Other countries such as the United States have resumed lockdown measures, including closing some beaches. According to recent reports by CNN and The New York Times, Miami-Dade County in Florida will close its beaches on the 4th. This measure follows a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases after tourists crowded beaches and swimming pools during the holiday period on May 31. Texas, Arizona, and California have also reintroduced lockdown measures.

Experts suggest strengthening quarantine levels as the risk of COVID-19 transmission increases when crowds gather outdoors.

Professor Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University Guro Hospital, said, "As I have emphasized several times before, I believe social distancing in daily life has failed," pointing out, "Currently, the proportion of cases with unknown infection routes exceeds 11%, and daily confirmed cases fluctuate between 50 and 60, yet quarantine levels remain at level 1. Quarantine measures need to be strengthened."

Professor Kim explained, "Since the vacation season started on the 1st, many people in the metropolitan area will flock to tourist destinations such as Jeju Island, the southwestern coast, and Gangwon Province. The risk of nationwide spread is increasing," adding, "You cannot categorically say 'outdoors is safe and indoors is risky.' What matters is whether people can properly follow preventive rules such as distancing and mask-wearing. Outdoors, the virus disperses, so the risk is lower, but beaches will be densely crowded, so it will not be easy."

Meanwhile, the government plans to guide private companies to stagger vacation periods to reduce crowding and prevent COVID-19 spread during the vacation season.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the quarantine task force at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at a regular briefing held at the Government Sejong Complex on the 29th of last month, "We plan to guide 19,375 workplaces with more than 100 employees nationwide to stagger summer vacations from early July to early September."

Accordingly, local labor offices will distribute 'Summer Vacation Status Surveys and Staggered Plans' to workplaces, encouraging employers to autonomously implement plans suitable for their workplace characteristics. However, this is only a request and recommendation, not a mandatory measure.