The extension of the Seoul social distancing measures until January 17 was announced on Saturday. The measures require people in Seoul to maintain Level 2.5 distancing which is stricter than the one for the rest of the country, which will remain on Level 2.
Level 2.5 Restrictions in Seoul until 17 January
Level 2.5 means banned gatherings of more than 50 people, no in-person services in cafes, and closed stadiums for fans. The curfew for Level 2.5 for department stores and all places of entertainment is 9 pm. This is the second-highest social distancing level in the country and it will be raised in Seoul, South Korea for two weeks, starting Tuesday.
The rest of the country will remain at Level 2 restrictions which require a limited number of students in school, takeaway services will be able to continue working but bars and nightclubs have to remain closed.
The COVID-19 cases in South Korea have significantly reduced in numbers for a second time on Sunday, falling from 824 the previous day to 657 the next. The average daily infections have also significantly reduced from 1,017 to 931.9.
The Extension of the Measures Has a Severe Impact on South Korea’s Casinos
The extension of the measures has impacted the tourism sector which includes most of its casinos. At the beginning of December Grand Korea Leisure closed its casinos in Gangnam COEX, Busan Lotte Hotel, and Gangbuk Millenium Seoul Hilton. The only casino, where locals can play is Kangwon Land.
It also closed down on the December 8, after the announcement of Level 2 distancing. It was closed for the third time last year. During the holidays it also had to close down its ski resort after the government initiated suspension until January 3. It was set to reopen with all of its 1,589 employees who have returned negative tests for Covid-19.
Kangwon Land casino said that they will be closed until January 18, but the ski resort will work at 30% and the hotels at 50% capacity.
On the 15th of December, Paradise Co Ltd, which is the leading casino operator in South Korea, was forced to shut down its casino in Seoul, Paradise Walkherhill.
Cruise Ships Banned from Docking at Jeju as the Island Remains on Level 2 Distancing
Currently, the biggest island in Korea, Jeju which remains on Level 2 social distancing has it a little bit easier in terms of restrictions. The island had only four out of eight casinos suspended last month and hotels can operate on half of their capacity.
However, Jeju is still impacted by the restrictions as officials ban cruise ships from docking and this will have a bad impact on the newly opened “foreigners only” resort, Jeju Dream Tower.