Anxiety is growing around the restaurant industry. In the midst of the summer vacation season, the daily confirmed cases of Corona 19 are close to 60,000, and there are signs of a resurgence since last winter. As there is a vacation season in early August, there is a great concern that the stock market could be ruined.
According to the Central Defense Countermeasure Headquarters, the daily average number of new corona19 confirmed cases over the past week was 45,529, a 17% increase compared to the previous week (38,802), showing an increase for 5 consecutive weeks. The number of confirmed cases, which showed a steep increase in July, rose to a level approaching 60,000 per day in the last week.
It is the first time in six months since January 11 (54,315) that the number of confirmed daily confirmed cases reached 60,000. The average number of confirmed cases per week stayed in the late 10,000 range until June, but rose to the 20,000 level in the first week of July and jumped to the 36,000 level in the third week. After that, in the 4th week of July, the number soared to 40,000.
Regarding this increase, experts judge that the national immunity obtained through vaccination and infection weakens over time and the emergence of new mutations with high immunity evasion. It is also pointed out that another pandemic could become a reality if the quarantine mitigation policy is carried out amid the current trend.
An official from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said at a briefing session with reporters on the morning of the 31st of last month, “We expect that the trend of increasing prevalence will continue for the time being.” Small and medium-sized epidemics can inevitably occur,” he said.
The restaurant industry is responding that the future is more problematic. In a situation where indoor ventilation is insufficient due to the recent operation of the air conditioner, it is said that the number of confirmed cases is increasing as much as it has reached the full-fledged holiday season, ‘7th and 8th (end of July and early August)’. As the amount of movement increases, the infectious disease can spread to more people.
If there are signs of a pandemic, it is difficult to rule out the possibility that the government will re-implement high-intensity quarantine policies such as social distancing policies like last year. In the case of re-implementing distancing, damage to small business owners is inevitable. Before economic recovery even sprouts, the recovery of face-to-face consumption is inevitably endangered.
Mr. A, who runs a restaurant, said, “There is a precedent in which sales스포츠토토 have plummeted while the high-intensity quarantine rules, such as restrictions on the number of people and business hours, have been implemented, and it has been difficult to operate the store, so anyone who is self-employed cannot help but worry.” ‘ has become a daily routine, so there is great concern about the pandemic.”
In particular, self-employed people are more concerned about the recent sharp rise in rent, utility bills, and labor costs. Difficulties were aggravated when the government decided to raise electricity rates in the second quarter following the first quarter. With no signs of recovery in sales, even the burden of energy costs has increased, driving it to the limit.
The shock wave of the self-employed is expected to intensify amid the skyrocketing prices without an answer. Since the war in Ukraine, the increase in food materials such as cooking oil and flour has already exceeded expectations. In addition, following the recent heavy rain during the rainy season, even the price of vegetables soared amid the unprecedented heat wave, and even the cost of raw materials is weighing on the shoulders.
Mr. B, who runs a restaurant, said, “The electricity bill, which was about 700,000 won, jumped to 1 million won in one month.” There will be no power,” he sighed.
A bigger problem is that as self-employed business owners’ loan balances from financial institutions exceed the record high every day, the delinquency rate is also rising. The burden on the self-employed is expected to increase further in September, when loan maturity extensions and repayment deferment measures end. It is also the reason why we must prevent a resurgence of the corona virus.
Mr. C, a self-employed person, said, “The economic recovery is slow and sales recovery is also slow, so we need to come up with additional measures until we have the ability to repay the principal.” there is. It is urgent to come up with active measures, such as further extending the deferral of repayment,” he appealed.