"Year-End Gatherings: What Should We Do?" Year-End Parties Approaching... Citizens Feel 'Anxious'

Health Authorities "Small-scale Infection Cases Continue"
1 in 5 Office Workers "Company Still Holds Gatherings"
Experts "Virus Survival Increases in Winter... Avoid Year-end and New Year Gatherings"

Office workers are clinking their glasses. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "I'm afraid of the year-end because of company dinners." , "COVID-19 isn't over yet..."

As sporadic group infections continue to occur in everyday places such as gatherings with acquaintances, concerns among citizens are growing with the approach of the year-end party season. Various year-end and New Year gatherings, including company dinners, create so-called '3Cs' (Close contact, Crowded places, Closed spaces) environments, which increase the risk of COVID-19 spread.

In particular, many office workers complain of stress as they have to attend company dinners reluctantly under pressure from their superiors despite the COVID-19 situation. Experts urge minimizing year-end and New Year gatherings as the virus's survival ability strengthens in cold weather.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH), as of midnight on the 5th, there were 125 new confirmed cases domestically, bringing the total confirmed cases to 27,050. The number of new cases increased by 7 from the previous day (118), marking three-digit figures for two consecutive days.

The health authorities analyzed that the reason the number of confirmed cases is not decreasing is due to small-scale group infections occurring nationwide.

Kang Do-tae, the first chief coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH), expressed concern in his opening remarks at the CDSCH meeting, saying, "As group infections continue steadily in the metropolitan area, small-scale infection cases are also ongoing in other regions such as Busan, Chungnam, and Gyeongnam. The COVID-19 virus can explosively increase anytime in the most vulnerable parts of our quarantine system."

Recently, group outbreaks have continued in everyday places including medical institutions and nursing facilities with many vulnerable groups, as well as family and acquaintance gatherings, and pubs.

The problem is that as the year-end approaches, various gatherings including year-end parties are expected to increase. When attendees have meals together, they inevitably find themselves in crowded, closed, and close-contact environments, the so-called '3Cs,' increasing the risk of COVID-19 infection.

In August, more than 10 Lotteria employees were infected in a mass outbreak after a group company dinner. On August 6, 10 employees at a Lotteria branch in Seoul gathered at the Lotteria Gunja Station branch in Gwangjin-gu, held a two-hour meeting, and then ate together.

Later, they moved to a chicken restaurant to continue the dinner, and the number of attendees increased to 19. The gathering lasted until 2 a.m. the next day. It was reported that they did not follow quarantine rules such as wearing masks for a long time. Eventually, 11 of them tested positive for COVID-19.

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As a result, the health authorities are recommending refraining from gatherings due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19.

At a regular briefing on the 27th of last month, Kwon Jun-wook, deputy director of the CDCH, emphasized, "To safely get through the winter, please hold year-end and New Year gatherings, religious events, and various event-type meetings in as small groups as possible this winter season, and strictly observe social distancing." He added, "The honest feeling of the health authorities is that it would be best to refrain from all kinds of gatherings as much as possible during this winter season."

However, even in this situation, some office workers complain of stress as they are forced to attend company dinners regardless of their will.

Office worker A (28) said, "Recently, there have been many company dinners. At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, there was an atmosphere of refraining from dinners, but as social distancing eased, company dinners have become frequent." He added, "I don't want to attend, but I'm afraid of retaliation from my boss. Also, all my colleagues attend, so I feel awkward if I don't go."

There are quite a few companies like A's that hold company dinners even during the COVID-19 situation. According to a survey conducted by Job Korea on 659 office workers about company dinner status, 22.2% of respondents said they are currently holding company dinners.

Given this situation, some citizens mention the need to strengthen social distancing until the year-end due to concerns about transmission from company dinners and other gatherings.

Another office worker B (27) said, "Confirmed cases keep appearing in various gatherings even now, and it is certain that large-scale infection cases will occur as the year-end approaches." He added, "I think social distancing should be strengthened a bit more until the year-end."

Experts emphasize refraining from year-end parties and after-parties.

Professor Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University Guro Hospital, said, "When the temperature drops and the air becomes dry, the virus's survival ability strengthens. Also, as it gets colder, more people gather indoors. The risk of being in the so-called '3Cs environment' increases." He analyzed, "Even indoors, people often do not ventilate because it is cold. In other words, due to climatic factors, human behavior, and ventilation factors, the risk of COVID-19 in winter increases."

He continued, "In Korea, it is common to have after-parties following gatherings, and there is a culture of year-end company dinners." He suggested, "In the COVID-19 era, it is necessary to temporarily change the behavior patterns and culture we have had so far. Changing culture is not easy, but everyone must make an effort."

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