Prohibition of Using 'Shared Items' Such as Vests and Gloves in All Logistics Facilities in Seoul

Establishing a 'Contactless' System Throughout the Entire Parcel Logistics Process... Immediate Reporting Upon Violation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] In line with the government's 'Social Distancing Level 2' and other COVID-19 prevention measures, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided to completely ban the use of shared items at delivery logistics centers and will issue immediate closure administrative orders if this rule is violated.

On the 26th, Seoul announced that it has delivered strengthened quarantine guidelines for logistics facilities, based on these measures, to 49 registered logistics facilities in the city and will enforce them immediately from the 27th. This action is taken out of concern for the massive ripple effect if confirmed COVID-19 cases occur within logistics facilities amid increasing demand for delivery services and the growing importance of logistics amid the pandemic.

More than 8,000 people work at logistics facilities in the Seoul area, with a majority being short-term daily workers, making it highly likely that even a single infection could spread simultaneously to multiple regions.

Accordingly, all logistics centers will go beyond the previous measure of disinfecting shared items at least once daily and will now completely prohibit the use of shared items such as work shoes, vests, and gloves, requiring the provision of personal items to each individual.

From the start of logistics operations to the final stage of delivering items to customers, a 'contactless system' will be established. When delivery vehicles enter logistics facilities, workers will remain inside the vehicle to complete electronic entry logs, undergo temperature checks and disinfection, and then immediately move to the loading and unloading area using a 'drive-through' method to minimize unnecessary contact. When delivering items to customers, prior contact via SNS will be made, and contactless delivery will be the standard.

To prevent infections within workplaces, large logistics facilities with over 100 employees are recommended to implement full-body disinfection systems or disinfection measures equivalent to full-body disinfection.

Furthermore, the city will issue immediate closure administrative orders without correction measures and proceed with legal action if these strengthened quarantine rules are violated even once. The closure period will be a minimum of two days, considering citizen inconvenience, for inspection, disinfection, and system maintenance, but may be extended depending on the stability of quarantine measures. The city also plans to consider claiming damages if COVID-19 spreads due to infections originating from logistics facilities.

Since July, the city has managed not only the two logistics centers designated as high-risk facilities by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Coupang and Market Kurly) but all registered logistics facilities at a high-risk facility level. All have adopted electronic entry logs with QR code check-ins, check workers’ symptoms at least once daily, and require mask-wearing during work.

Hwang Bo-yeon, Director of Urban Transportation at Seoul City, said, "In Seoul, a large city with high population density and large logistics volume, managing quarantine at logistics facilities is directly linked to the daily safety of all citizens. With the determination to hold the line, we will proactively strengthen high-intensity quarantine management, establish a contactless advanced logistics delivery system, and enforce strong administrative measures against violations of quarantine rules."

Checking for fever when workers enter and using a full-body disinfectant machine.

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