Duty-free shops to reopen this week after virus disinfection

All News 15:52 February 05, 2020

By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, Feb. 5 (Yonhap) -- Several South Korean duty-free shops that temporarily shut down after people infected with Wuhan coronavirus visited them will reopen later this week, their operators said Wednesday.

Shilla Duty Free, one of the country's leading duty-free stores, on Sunday closed its two outlets in central Seoul and on the southern resort island of Jeju after they were each visited by a victim of the pneumonia-like virus.

The shops will open their doors again on Friday after disinfection operations to prevent possible contagion have been completed, officials said.

A sign shows the business hours of Shinsegae Department Store in Seoul on Feb. 4, 2020. On the same day, major department stores in the country reduced their business hours by two hours on average amid the escalating coronavirus crisis. (Yonhap)

The Seoul store is normally open until 9:00 p.m., but starting on Friday, it will shut at 6:00 p.m., while the Jeju outlet will be open between 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., according to Shilla Duty Free.

Lotte Duty Free, another major player, also shut down its outlet on Jeju Island late Sunday after it was confirmed that another Chinese person with the coronavirus had visited the outlet last month.

The branch will reopen on Friday with its business hours shortened to 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

South Korea has confirmed a total of 18 cases of the new coronavirus.

khj@yna.co.kr
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Keywords

#coronavirus