Mandate lifted, but most Koreans continue to mask up

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Mandate lifted, but most Koreans continue to mask up

Published: 20 Mar. 2023, 15:58 Updated: 20 Mar. 2023, 15:58

The mask mandate on public transportation in Korea was lifted Monday for the first time in two and a half years, but many people say they aren't ready to de-mask, like the passengers on a Seoul bus shown above. [YONHAP]

The mask mandate on public transportation in Korea was lifted Monday for the first time in two and a half years, yet many people insisted on masking up anyway for fear of infection.

“It feels so weird not wearing a mask,” said 67-year-old Lee Jeong-geun, who stepped on a bus in Seoul on Monday morning without a mask on, but quickly put it on a few minutes later.

“I saw the news saying that I don’t have to wear a mask anymore, but I’ve grown so used to it. The pandemic isn’t over yet, so I’m going to keep my mask on for the time being and see how things flow.”

Choi Ye-rin, 19, a college student, agreed with Lee, saying she’s grown so attached to masks that she considers them her “second skin.”

“I’m a nursing student and everyone wears masks at school,” said Choi, who was on the same bus as Lee.

“I don’t feel uncomfortable at all wearing them.”

Local health authorities this week lifted one of the nation’s last-remaining Covid restrictions, allowing people to unmask on subways, taxis and buses. People still need to wear masks at high-risk facilities — hospitals, pharmacies, nursing homes, welfare centers for the disabled and mental health centers.

Visitors to pharmacies in large supermarkets or subway stations, however, don’t have to wear masks.

In reaching the latest decision, health officials explained last week that the number of daily new infections was on a downward trend, plus new coronavirus variants that could lead to surges weren’t appearing.

Global policy changes were also taken into consideration, the government said, noting that only a handful of countries continue to require people to wear masks on mass transportation, including Malaysia and Egypt.

Even without the mask mandate, officials stressed that masks are still a basic means to protect oneself from the coronavirus, strongly advising people to put them on when using public transit during rush hour.

Seventy-four-year-old Na said Monday she was going to take that advice seriously, even when it’s not rush hour.

“I was really sick from Covid last October,” said Na. “I was in so much pain that I had to be rushed to the hospital on an ambulance. I’m too terrified to take off my mask.”

Kim, 62, a bus driver with 17 years of experience, said he was ecstatic to finally take off his mask, saying he could finally breathe.

“Summers were horrendous,” said Kim. “After spending hours driving and responding to passengers asking about directions, I’d always find my mask soggy from all the saliva and sweat.”

Choi, 68, another bus driver in Seoul who wear glasses, said he was relieved, too.

“I always had to wipe the fog off my lens during a red light,” said Choi. “I also had cold sores around my mouth and nostrils, but finally I can drive in peace without a mask on.”

Other than the mask mandate at high-risk facilities, the last remaining Covid restriction in Korea is the seven-day quarantine for people who come down with the virus.

Local authorities said they would consider changing those policies, too, after monitoring discussions at the World Health Organization set for April or May on whether to end the global health emergency declaration for Covid.

BY CHOI SEO-IN, LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]