Restaurants Cannot Operate In-Store from Night to Early Morning... Franchise Coffee Shops Prohibited All Day (Update)

Enhanced Quarantine Measures Applied in the Capital Area Until the 6th of Next Month
Restaurants Allowed Takeout and Delivery Only from 9 PM to 5 AM
Franchise Coffee Shops Prohibited from Using Stores All Day
Indoor Sports Facilities and Academies Also Prohibited from Gathering

On the 26th, as the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues, tables and chairs are stacked in a corner at a Starbucks store in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonoam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Until the 6th of next month, restaurants in the Seoul metropolitan area will not be allowed to serve customers inside the premises from 9 PM to 5 AM the following day, permitting only takeout and delivery. Among cafes, franchise-type coffee shops will be prohibited from consuming food and beverages inside the store at all times, allowing only takeout and delivery.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare confirmed these strengthened quarantine measures for the Seoul metropolitan area at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held on the 28th. This measure comes in response to the recent spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) centered in the metropolitan area. The current Level 2 social distancing will be maintained, but additional strengthened measures will be applied to some vulnerable sectors.

Restaurants include general restaurants, snack bars, and bakeries. The restriction on gatherings prohibits the use of the premises during specified hours, while existing core quarantine rules such as mask-wearing, visitor log management, and maintaining 2 meters between tables inside the facility will be maintained. These measures will be applied for eight days from 0:00 on the 30th until midnight on the 6th of next month.

On the 18th, a notice of temporary closure to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is posted at the Starbucks Yadang Station branch in Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do.

Regarding cafes, since their types vary widely, a blanket restriction or ban on gatherings was not imposed; instead, strengthened quarantine measures were applied. Franchise-type coffee shops include all specialty stores, encompassing franchise stores under the Franchise Business Act, business outlets, and directly managed stores.

Son Young-rae, head of the Strategic Planning Team at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, explained, "It is difficult to classify cafes under a single industry category, so issuing a comprehensive administrative order could cause excessive damage to many businesses. Cafes are places where many people gather and stay for extended periods, increasing the possibility of droplet transmission."

On the 25th, 100 days before the 2021 College Scholastic Ability Test, an instructor is conducting an interactive real-time remote class for enrolled students at Jongno Academy Gangnam Main Branch in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Indoor sports facilities such as gyms, billiard halls, and golf practice ranges have also been ordered to prohibit gatherings. This follows recent cluster outbreaks linked to indoor sports facilities such as gymnastics classes in Wonju and table tennis clubs in Gwangju. Additionally, all academies in the metropolitan area will be allowed to conduct only non-face-to-face classes. This expands the previous application of Level 2 social distancing measures, which applied only to large academies with 300 or more students, to all academies.

Reading rooms and study cafes are also subject to gathering bans. Educational institutes are allowed to operate under gathering restrictions if they comply with quarantine rules such as visitor log management and mask-wearing. The measures for reading rooms, study cafes, and academies will be applied for one week from the 31st until the 6th of next month. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters stated, "To minimize care gaps caused by these measures, the government and public institutions will promote telecommuting, and private companies are also recommended to improve their working methods to similar levels."

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