Government "Resumes Issuance of Discount Vouchers for Accommodation, Travel, and Dining"
Clubs to Face Intensive Crackdown During Halloween
Concerns Over COVID-19 Resurgence...Criticism of Policy Contradictions
Experts "Minimize Contact and Strictly Follow Personal Hygiene Measures"
[Asia Economy reporters Han Seung-gon and Kim Young-eun] The government will resume support for accommodation, travel, and dining discount coupons starting today (30th). However, with the daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases remaining around 100, and especially as people flock to use these consumption coupons during the Halloween period, concerns are rising that COVID-19 might spread again.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) announced at a regular COVID-19 briefing on the 28th that "we will cautiously resume the issuance of accommodation, travel, and dining discount coupons, which had been temporarily suspended due to the spread of COVID-19," after discussions on the 'Plan to Reopen Domestic Tourism Including Accommodation, Travel, and Dining Discount Coupons.'
The government will first launch a travel discount coupon offering a 30% discount on about 1,000 travel products starting today (30th), and a dining discount support campaign that refunds 10,000 won on the fourth dining occasion after three dining visits.
Additionally, plans to expand support for affected industries are underway, and projects such as the 'Worker Vacation Support Program,' 'Rural Tourism Products,' and 'Discounts on Amusement Facility Usage' will be carried out sequentially.
On the 29th, two days before Halloween Day, the streets of Itaewon in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, appeared quiet. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The problem lies in concerns over the spread of COVID-19. If many people suddenly go out to enjoy leisure activities due to the issuance of discount coupons, the risk of COVID-19 infection through close contact may increase again. There are also criticisms that government policies and quarantine authorities' measures are contradictory.
While clubs in Itaewon are being intensively monitored to prevent mass infections during the Halloween period, the policy of distributing discount coupons on the same day to encourage consumption and gatherings is being criticized as contradictory.
Previously, quarantine authorities announced that to prevent the spread of COVID-19, any business violating even one core quarantine rule during the Halloween period will be immediately ordered to close on-site, and intensive inspections will be conducted.
Seoul City is also preparing and implementing measures to prevent the re-spread of COVID-19 through clubs during the Halloween period.
According to Seoul City on the 28th, in preparation for Halloween Day on the 31st, they are strengthening quarantine management such as intensive on-site inspections of entertainment facilities like clubs to prevent a recurrence of mass infections like the one originating from Itaewon clubs in May.
During these inspections, businesses violating quarantine rules will be subject to 'immediate closure' measures. Seoul City stated that if a business is found violating quarantine rules during inspections, the 'one-strike-out system' will be applied, and closure orders will be enforced for two weeks starting from midnight the day after detection.
In response, large popular clubs in Gangnam and Itaewon have collectively announced temporary closures. According to notices from each club, they have "decided to close voluntarily during the Halloween period to prevent COVID-19 after consultations with quarantine authorities and local governments," and plan to suspend operations until the 3rd of next month.
Photo by Screenshot of real-time comments on articles related to accommodation, travel, and dining discount coupons support
Meanwhile, criticism is mounting that the government's issuance of discount coupons contrasts sharply with the clubs closing to prevent Halloween-related mass infections, calling the policy contradictory.
Netizens have expressed negative reactions such as, "We still receive disaster alerts daily, so what kind of policy is this?" and "Clubs are closing, but coupons are being handed out on the other side."
Experts are also concerned about the re-spread of COVID-19 due to increased outings. Professor Eom Jung-sik, an infectious disease specialist at Gachon University Gil Medical Center, said, "If people move and have contact, the possibility of re-spread inevitably increases, so it is worrisome."
He added, "While economic revitalization is good, I am skeptical about promoting methods that encourage movement and contact. Increasing outings and contact will not have benefits, so it would be good to consider better ways to stimulate the economy that do not require going out as much as now."
He also emphasized, "It is best to minimize contact, but when going out, the most important thing is wearing a mask," and "We must always follow personal quarantine rules wherever and whenever to prevent re-spread."
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