“Corona spreads by choosing a location” … ‘Scary look’ on resuming coupon payment before Halloween

Entry 2020.10.29 16:52 | Revision 2020.10.29 16:59

“I can’t make a club but go to a restaurant … Does the coronavirus spread by choosing a place?”

When the government announced it would resume paying discount vouchers for traveling and eating out, which was recently suspended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection, an official at a club in Hongdae, Seoul said.

Before Halloween Day on the 31st, local governments, including Seoul, began intensive quarantine inspections targeting clubs with great concern for group coronavirus infection. The decision to resume the issuance of discount coupons that encourage travel and eating out is noted in a situation where strict quarantine rules are applied to clubs and even criminal proceedings are carried out, and is a “policy contradictory “.

The Security and Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters announced on the 28th that to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, it will sequentially resume support for discount coupons for accommodation, travel and meals away from home. Yoon Tae-ho, Head of Accident Control Headquarters, said: “We decided to resume (discount right) taking into account the fact that the large-scale spread is suppressed so far and that we are responding without major problems by expanding quarantine and medical capabilities “.

Coupon codes are starting to ship out immediately this weekend. Beginning on the 30th day before Halloween, the script provides a travel discount coupon offering a 30% discount on 112 travel products and conducts a food service discount support campaign that reimburses 10,000 won for fourth time when he goes out to dinner three times. Starting on the 4th of next month, a discount voucher worth 30,000 won or 40,000 won will be issued to 1 million people.

The problem is when to apply for the discount vouchers. The time when support for travel and eating out discount coupons resumes coincides with the time when each local government intensively inspects entertainment facilities such as clubs to prevent the ‘second infection of the Itaewon group’. On the one hand, it is to take control of the quarantine, and on the other, to encourage travel and outings to eat.

From the 28th to the 3rd of next month, Seoul began special inspections of a total of 153 dance entertainment facilities, including clubs in Seoul (44 locations), Gamseong Izakaya (64 locations), and Collate (45 locations). It was decided to apply the ‘One Strike Out’ system in which two officials in charge of each establishment were appointed to verify the quarantine rules, and clubs and pubs that violate the quarantine rules immediately issue a ban order from the group.

Starting at 10 pm on the 30th of Gyeonggi province, it was decided to conduct a joint night inspection with each city, county and police for high-risk facilities such as clubs, hunting pots, entertainment pubs and danran pubs in the Province. The City of Busan organizes a joint inspection team with the Food and Drug Administration, autonomous districts, police and counties to inspect high-risk facilities in the ‘Youth Street’ area from 9pm on the 30th until 2 am on the 31st. Incheon and Gwangju also begin inspecting high-risk facilities before and after Halloween.

Many point out that the government’s decision to support discount coupons contradicts the call by quarantine authorities to refrain from meetings.

On the 27th, the day before the resumption of the discount vouchers was announced, the deputy director of the Central Defense Countermeasures Headquarters, Kwon Joon-wook, said: “For a safer winter, hold end-of-season meetings. year and New Years, religious events and various event gatherings as small as possible, even this winter. If so, it would be better to refrain from various gatherings as much as possible during this winter season. “

Kim Mo (26), who lives in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, said: “I was relieved that the city of Seoul was intensively checking the clubs during Halloween, and the business owners also closed their own business, but I don’t understand why how suddenly they decided to apply for discount coupons “. “I understand the meaning of saving the economy, but I don’t know why it starts before Halloween.”

A 25-year-old aunt living in Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do also said, “The time to apply for discount rights is inappropriate.” “Do you think the coronavirus is transmitted only to clubs, etc.?” It seems difficult, ”he said.

Criticism also emerged in August that the government’s timing to apply for discount vouchers was not appropriate. When the government announced the third supplementary budget, it decided to grant a consumer discount right for accommodation, travel, movies, performances, exhibitions, sports, etc. worth KRW 90.4 billion. At the time, the Seoul Metropolitan Government requested that conservative groups cancel the large-scale assembly on Liberation Day. Finally, the government temporarily halted the coupon business only after the crown or reproliferation in the metropolitan area.

In light of such criticism, the government announced its position to flexibly operate the discount coupon support project. On the 28th, an official of the scriptwriter announced the resumption of the discount vouchers and said: “All projects will be promoted flexibly according to the situation of the crown.” He added: “If the crown is extended across the country in the future, the project will be canceled or postponed at any time.”