"Can't Work from Home?" Working Moms Worried Amid Spread of New Coronavirus

Closure of Daycare Centers in 6 Local Governments Including Suwon and Bucheon Due to Confirmed Cases
"Requesting Measures Such as 'Remote Work' and 'Unpaid Leave' for Working Moms"
Some Companies in Japan and Hong Kong Implement Remote Work

On the morning of the 3rd, a parent is assisting their child with attending kindergarten at a kindergarten in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "Isn't working from home possible? I'm worried about the kids who will be at home."

Due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), some daycare centers have decided to temporarily close. So-called 'working moms,' who are balancing work and childcare, expressed confusion over the daycare closures. Some parents even posted petitions requesting to be allowed to work from home until the novel coronavirus situation calms down.

On the 2nd, 2,314 daycare centers in Suwon, Bucheon, Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province, and Gunsan in North Jeolla Province, where confirmed COVID-19 cases occurred, decided to close for a week. Including the weekend, most closures last until the 8th or 9th. The closure period may be extended depending on the situation.

Some parents could not hide their confusion upon hearing this news. For dual-income parents, there is simply no reliable place to leave their children. Although attendance was allowed for children who urgently needed care, such as those from dual-income or single-parent families, parents felt pressured by the daycare centers.

A member of a mom caf? said, "Some people already decided not to send their kids to kindergarten, but why are they killing dual-income families twice by ordering closures? Who would want to send their kids?"

She continued, "They say 'dual-income parents should send (kids to kindergarten),' but it's obvious from the kindergarten's perspective that they don't want kids sent. It's frustrating. Even if it's not intentional, parents feel pressured. I wonder if they open the doors just because of my child. Either way, I feel sorry for the kindergarten."

Another mom caf? member said, "Closures are good, but it's a bleak situation for dual-income families. Just because the daycare is closed doesn't mean we can skip work, and there's a limit to using leave days due to work." She added, "It would be good if one parent in a dual-income family was ordered to restrict commuting to work."

She also added, "Although emergency childcare was available at the daycare, I sent my child there and went to work, but it was a day filled with unease."

On the afternoon of the 3rd, a notice about temporary closure to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection was posted at the entrance of a daycare center in Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Yonhap News

As a result, posts demanding early leave and vacation measures for working moms have been continuously posted on the Blue House's national petition board.

On the 4th, petitioner A, who identified herself as a working mom raising 3-year-old twins, said, "Amid the nationwide and global spread of Wuhan pneumonia fears, it was reported that daycare teachers in Taean, Chungnam, and Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, had contact with confirmed cases."

She continued, "When I asked other moms around me, they said they plan not to send their kids to daycare for the time being. They want to care for their children at home due to the fear of Wuhan pneumonia," but added, "For dual-income couples, 'self-care' is out of the question."

A said, "I can't even take leave because I feel pressured at work, and there is no one to take care of my child. So, despite the fear of Wuhan pneumonia, I leave my child at daycare and go to work," adding, "Most working moms are probably in a similar situation."

The petitioner demanded measures such as 'working from home' or 'unpaid leave' for working moms with children under six, emphasizing, "Please create an environment where we can raise our children with peace of mind."

Some countries have recommended working from home due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Japan adopted a work-from-home system to respond to the novel coronavirus. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the same day, Japanese companies are encouraging 'telework' (working in a separate space away from the usual workplace) and staggered commuting.

In particular, the staffing company Pasona Group has recommended telework for pregnant women and employees over 50 since the 3rd. GMO Internet, a Japanese internet service company, reportedly allowed telework for about 4,000 domestic employees, accounting for 90% of its workforce, since the 27th of last month.

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

Hong Kong has also introduced work-from-home measures. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the Hong Kong government ordered all civil servants, except those on urgent duties, to work from home from the 29th of last month to the 2nd.

The Hong Kong government also recommended similar measures to private companies, and many companies in Hong Kong have already taken action. Bloomberg reported that employees in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai were instructed to work from home until further notice, and all business trips to mainland China and Hong Kong were canceled.

Meanwhile, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced at 9 a.m. on the 5th that the number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Korea increased by two to 18.

The 17th confirmed case is a 38-year-old Korean man who visited Singapore last month to attend a conference. After being informed that a confirmed case (a Malaysian) was among the attendees, he visited a screening clinic. The test result was positive.

The 18th patient, a 21-year-old Korean woman, is the daughter of the 16th confirmed case. She was tested during quarantine, and the result was positive.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.