"Creating Christmas Atmosphere" vs "Gathering Canceled" Year-End COVID-19 Spread Concerns

From the 24th, 'Year-End and New Year Special Quarantine Period'
Health Authorities "Stay Home and Have a Safe Holiday"

The "Year-end and New Year Special Quarantine Measures" to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) will be implemented from midnight on the 24th. The photo shows Myeongdong Street in Seoul on the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-eun] From the 24th until midnight on January 3rd of next year, a nationwide "Year-end and New Year Special Quarantine Measure" will be implemented to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) during the year-end and New Year holidays and Christmas holiday period.

While the quarantine measures have been strengthened, there are concerns as some people are canceling their year-end appointments, but others still want to enjoy gatherings.

According to the government's "Year-end and New Year Special Quarantine Measure" guidelines, private gatherings, company dinners, parties, etc., of five or more people must be canceled, and restaurants are also prohibited from accepting reservations or admitting groups of five or more. Violations will result in fines of up to 3 million won for operators and up to 100,000 won for users.

Despite the many small gatherings and appointments typical of the year-end, there are opinions this year that it is better to cancel appointments, follow quarantine rules, and spend the time quietly.

A 20-year-old university student, Mr. A, said, "Every year, I used to have year-end parties with friends, but since gatherings of many people were prohibited and I felt anxious, I canceled the party. I was planning to at least meet my boyfriend, but there was nowhere to go, and the idea of taking off masks to eat made me uneasy, so I decided not to meet him either." He added, "This year, I plan to spend the year-end at home watching movies with my family."

A 30-year-old office worker, Mr. B, said, "Recently, COVID-19 has become very severe, so I bring my own lunch to work and have not organized any year-end gatherings. However, even just looking at restaurants on the way home, popular places are still quite crowded." He continued, "No one cancels gatherings because they don't want to have fun. I hope everyone can endure a little more so that this COVID does not continue into next year."

Additionally, some restaurants have announced they will not operate during this quarantine period to prevent the spread. A restaurant owner in Seoul posted on their social media account, "Due to the gathering ban, we will not accept reservations until the second week of January," and added, "All existing reservations during this period have been canceled. We pray to overcome this difficult situation together."

This is a social media post from a restaurant in the Seoul metropolitan area that was fully booked on Christmas Day. Photo by Instagram capture

On the other hand, there are still citizens who want to enjoy small gatherings. They believe that following quarantine rules makes daily life manageable.

An office worker, Mr. C, said, "I have no appointments with five or more people, but I plan to have dinner with two or three friends. I intend to go to restaurants with as few people as possible, sit at spaced tables, eat quickly, and leave, so I think it will be okay."

Meanwhile, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, some restaurants in the metropolitan area have already announced on their websites or social media accounts that reservations are fully booked, indicating that crowds are expected.

On Instagram posts related to Christmas reservations by restaurants, phrases such as "Reservations full for Christmas Day," "Usage time limited to 90 minutes for the next group's entry," and "Only two seats left for Christmas Eve" could be found.

On online communities such as cafes, posts debating whether to cancel Christmas reservations have continued. One community member said, "It's not a large gathering, just a quick meal with my partner. I think it should be okay, but what do others think? I wanted to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere and even paid more than usual to reserve a restaurant, but now I feel a bit uneasy, so I'm asking."

The quarantine authorities urged everyone to cancel all plans as much as possible. On the 22nd, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced the year-end and New Year special quarantine measures, stating, "In the metropolitan area, private gatherings of five or more people are not just recommended to be avoided but are prohibited. This does not mean that gathering up to four people is safe or acceptable. Even groups of four or fewer can be fined if basic rules such as mask-wearing are not followed."

They also emphasized again, "Christmas and year-end and New Year gatherings or travel can be another spark for large-scale spread, so please cancel gatherings, appointments, and travel plans, stay at home, and have a safe holiday."