A rising number of people in Seoul are opting for remote work after confirmation of the country’s first omicron variant cases.
Five omicron infections had been detected in South Korea on Wednesday, the first local cases of the fast-spreading COVID-19 strain, leading officials to increase passenger screening and quarantine measures at airports.
The news, combined with the frightening number of daily new viral infections, has heightened public fears about the pandemic. On Thursday, the country reported 5,266 new cases, the second day in a row that the total surpassed 5,000.
Most other businesses and employees are ready to work from home yet again to stay safe. There’s currently no news on how the new variant of the coronavirus behaves. Until there’s more information from WHO about the transmissibility and potency of the omicron virus, South Korea believes that remote work is the best option to prevent the spread.
Small restaurant and café owners are particularly concerned about the latest pandemic scenario, fearing that government steps to regulate the volatile situation may once again put a strain on their operations. With the year end celebrations around the corner, it seems like the time has come to shut shop again and the hospitality industry is dreading that history will repeat itself.
Some other places like Toronto are planning to reopen offices in the coming weeks despite the Omicron scare as they believe they have all precautions in place. It’s a matter of time before we know what the situation with this new variant is and if remote work is again the solution and a way of working moving forward.
Subscribe to Think Remote for the latest news, tips and stories from the remote work world.
