50,000 Omicron Cases Era... Companies Strengthen Quarantine Measures

Strengthening Social Distancing Again 5 Months After Gradual Return to Normal Life
Increasing Proportion of Remote and Distributed Work
Prohibition of Face-to-Face Contact Among Employees During Meetings, Training, and Business Trips

On the 10th, as the number of new COVID-19 cases exceeded 50,000 for the first time ever, continuing to set daily records, citizens lined up in long queues at the temporary screening clinic in Seoul Plaza for testing. According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH), as of midnight that day, the total number of new confirmed cases was 54,122, which is 2.4 times higher than the 22,906 cases reported a week earlier on the 3rd. Previously, health authorities projected that due to the spread of the Omicron variant, daily confirmed cases could reach between 130,000 and 170,000 by the end of this month. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-ho Kim] As the daily number of new COVID-19 cases exceeded 50,000 due to the Omicron variant surge, companies have been rushing to fully reinforce their quarantine measures. They are increasing the rate of remote and distributed work while also implementing infection prevention measures such as completely banning face-to-face contact among employees during meetings, training sessions, and business trips.

According to the industry on the 11th, Samsung Electronics announced internal social distancing guidelines for its DS (Device Solutions) division, which is responsible for the semiconductor business.

First, face-to-face meetings and training sessions were completely banned for the first time in five months. This reverses all measures that had been resumed in line with the phased return to normal life in October last year back to square one. In addition, employees were advised to refrain from both overseas and domestic business trips. It was made mandatory to undergo a COVID-19 test before returning to work after a business trip.

The guidelines also include the implementation of a "staggered commuting system" to prevent employees from gathering all at once at specific times.

Samsung Electronics is said to have fully reinforced its quarantine guidelines in response to the recent sharp increase in confirmed cases both inside and outside the company. In particular, the number of new COVID-19 cases in the semiconductor division has reportedly maintained a double-digit daily average recently.

The Samsung Electronics DX division, which handles finished products such as smartphones, TVs, and home appliances, also notified employees yesterday of similar internal quarantine guidelines.

Other major conglomerates have also uniformly raised the remote work rate, which had been lowered to 30% in line with the phased return to normal life, back up to 50%.

LG Electronics, like Samsung Electronics, advised employees to refrain from domestic and overseas business trips and encouraged booster shot vaccinations. SK Group, although varying by affiliate, commonly enforces measures such as remote work for all or half of the workforce except essential personnel, and bans gatherings and dinners among members. Hyundai Motor Company has also been implementing full remote work for all employees except essential personnel since the beginning of this year.

Hyundai Motor Company, which recently experienced a temporary disruption in automobile seat production due to over 40 COVID-19 cases at its Ulsan plant,

continues to enforce strengthened quarantine rules such as banning face-to-face events, meetings, dinners, and training sessions, as well as limiting the operation of on-site sports facilities.

Other industries such as shipbuilding, steel, and construction have also established strengthened quarantine measures. Hyundai Heavy Industries Group expanded the proportion of remote work from the previous 30% to 50%. They also introduced a staggered commuting system. Cross-business trips between Seoul and Geoje were banned, and meetings were replaced with video conferences.

Hyundai Steel restricts employees at production plants from moving outside their designated work areas. DL E&C (formerly Daelim Industrial) raised the remote work rate from 50% to 70% for two weeks from the 7th to the 18th of this month. If external meetings are not possible, employees are prohibited from coming to the office for three days after the meeting.

GS Construction maintains its existing policy of dividing departments into Group A and Group B for alternate-day remote work. Hyundai Construction also decided to continue its existing policy of 50% remote work for employees.

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