'10-Day Quarantine' Leads to Giving Up Overseas Travel... Department Store and Mart Food Courts Also Implement 'Vaccine Pass'

Capital area private gathering allowed number reduced from 10 to 6

The government will limit the maximum number of private gatherings to 6 people in the metropolitan area and 8 people in non-metropolitan areas for four weeks starting next week to control the rapidly spreading COVID-19 outbreak since the beginning of "daily recovery." In addition, the facilities subject to the quarantine pass will be expanded to all indoor multi-use facilities such as restaurants, cafes, academies, and PC rooms, and from February next year, the quarantine pass will also be applied to adolescents aged 12 to 18. The photo shows citizens walking at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] As the government strengthens quarantine measures by reducing the allowed number of private gatherings due to the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, the travel, distribution, and dining industries, which had been expecting a year-end boom, are once again anxious.

According to health authorities and related industries on the 4th, all domestic and foreign nationals entering from overseas must quarantine for ten days regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status for two weeks until the 16th. This is a measure to prevent the spread of the 'Omicron' variant originating from Nigeria.

Accordingly, many overseas travelers who had prepared for honeymoons or visits to relatives abroad in line with the phased daily recovery (With Corona) are giving up their trips. This is due to concerns about variant virus infections and the burden of a 10-day self-quarantine before returning to daily life.

Travel agencies and home shopping industries, which had resumed sales of overseas travel products to Europe and other regions, are now in urgent trouble. They are canceling planned promotions and broadcasts of overseas travel products and postponing or allowing free cancellations without penalties for travel products scheduled to depart early this month.

The department store industry, which had faced store closures due to a surge in confirmed cases last summer, has also strengthened its own quarantine measures such as personal hygiene of employees and store disinfection.

With the phased recovery of daily life (With Corona) measures expected to boost consumer sentiment, the department store industry launched its final regular sale of the year on the 19th of last month. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Department stores and large marts are not included in the 'Quarantine Pass' entry-restricted industries that require completion of vaccination or submission of a negative COVID-19 test certificate, but food and beverage stores such as restaurants and cafes within the stores are subject to restrictions, raising concerns about a decrease in customers.

A department store official said, "Since With Corona last month, sales of luxury goods, fashion, and cosmetics have increased significantly, and the winter regular sale is ongoing until this weekend, so there is no impact on sales yet," but added, "However, if confirmed cases occur, temporary store closures are inevitable, so we are actively implementing government quarantine rules such as visitor management and guiding employees to receive booster shots."

The hotel industry, which had been seeing an increase in accommodation and buffet reservations ahead of the year-end and New Year peak season, expects some cancellations due to the restriction of private gatherings to six people in the metropolitan area and eight people in non-metropolitan areas.

A hotel official said, "There are not many private gathering reservations exceeding six people in hotel restaurants, and even if some cancellations occur, there are many waiting customers, so there is no problem with operations," adding, "However, if the spread of COVID-19 and variant viruses continues, consumption and outing demand itself may decrease, so we are closely monitoring the situation."

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