Indoor mask mandate in Korea could soon be ended

Visitors to a mall in Seoul walk past a sign on Thursday that reminds the public to wear their masks. [YONHAP]

Korea’s indoor mask mandate could soon be lifted.

But people using mass transit and medical and welfare facilities will likely still be required to mask up.

An announcement may come as early as on Friday.

The details were shared with reporters on Thursday by People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Sung Il-jong, head of the PPP’s Policy Committee, shortly after he joined a meeting at the National Assembly with health authorities.

According to Sung, health officials explained to PPP lawmakers in the meeting — which was specifically about lifting the indoor mask rule — that they were planning to scrap the mandate in places that “meet certain criteria” and make mask-wearing a “recommendation.”

The recommendation would essentially mean people will be able to individually decide whether to wear a mask or not.

The indoor mask rule is among Korea’s last remaining Covid restrictions. Many other rules were lifted earlier this year, including an outdoor mask mandate.

Other Covid restrictions still in place include a mandatory seven-day quarantine for infected people.

Korea is the only country among OECD member states that requires face masks in all indoor facilities.

Sung told reporters Thursday that he was told by health experts in a meeting the day before that the timing seemed right to do away with the indoor mask restriction considering current “circumstances.”

“The severity of coronavirus variants is significantly lower than before,” Sung said, noting the daily inconveniences caused by the mask requirement and the possible delay in the language development of children due to mask-wearing.

Sung said the party urged health authorities on Thursday to “boldly and swiftly” get rid of the mask rule.

Even if case numbers rise with the lifting, the government “has enough medical personnel and facilities to respond,” Sung said.

Asked by reporters whether the mandate could be reinstated if the number of patients explode, Sung said yes.

“The severity of the coronavirus variants are remarkably low,” the PPP Policy Committee chief mentioned.

“It’s uncertain how the virus will mutate going forward, but if we suddenly see a new variant or if infections surge, the government might require people to mask up again.”

On the mandatory seven-day quarantine, Sung said the PPP suggested the government reduce the isolated period to three days, the same as when medical professionals come down with the virus.

“When people in the medical profession get infected, they’re allowed to go back to work after three days of isolating,” said Sung.

He added that the party relayed to the government the argument from health professionals that isolation should be reduced to three days.

The possible easing of the indoor mask mandate comes as the nation counted 75,744 new Covid infections on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s figure was 12,042 fewer than the day before, but 5,601 more than a week earlier and up 10,507 from two weeks earlier.

An average of 67,263 people tested positive for the coronavirus each day over the past week, with most infections coming from Seoul and Gyeonggi.

The number of Covid patients in serious or critical condition was 547 on Wednesday, 35 more than the day before and the highest figure in 100 days.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]