Infection Cases Continue To Decline And No New Variants, South Korea Revokes Mask Rules In Public Transportation Starting Monday

Illustration of COVID-19 in South Korea. (Wikimedia Commons/Si Marijuana City)

JAKARTA - The South Korean government has decided to lift the obligation to use masks in public transportation, including buses, subways and aircraft starting Monday, as the COVID-19 situation stabilizes, health authorities said on Wednesday.

It is known, the rules for wearing masks were enforced in South Korea starting October 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

In a government meeting on the COVID-19 response, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Han Chang-seob said the decision was made taking into account the number of COVID-19 infections, which continued to decline, after the government lifted most of the indoor masks usage rules on January 30.

"The daily average number of virus cases has decreased by 38 percent even after the mask usage requirements were adjusted on January 30, while the number of new seriously ill patients has fallen 55 percent," said Han, quoted by the Korea Times March 16.

"In addition, mutation virus variants have not been found in recent weeks. The virus situation has been in a stable condition," he continued.

However, Han added that the government is still "actively recommending" people who use public transportation during rush hour and those who are in high-risk groups or have symptoms associated with COVID-19, to continue wearing masks on public transport.

In May last year, the government lifted the mandate to use masks outdoors, as a major step back to normal conditions before COVID-19.

Then on January 30, most of the rules for wearing masks in the room were revoked. However, these mandates still apply in hospitals, pharmacies, other vulnerable facilities and public transportation.

Authorities say more and more countries have ended the mandate of wearing masks on public transport, such as Germany on February 2 and Spain on February 8. In Singapore, all mask wearing rules were lifted on February 13.

Authorities also cited a recent survey showing that some people were still willing to wear masks even after most of the rules were lifted.

In addition to public transportation, the mandate to use masks in pharmacies in open public spaces, such as large supermarkets or train stations, will also end according to the authorities.

Government sources noted that the rules for the use of masks left in places such as hospitals are likely to be lifted after May when the World Health Organization (WHO) plans to discuss whether to end what it calls an International Concerned Public Health Emergency (PHEIC) related to the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the Ginseng State Government plans to announce a roadmap to lift the remaining COVID-19 restrictions, including a seven-day isolation mandate for virus patients, by the end of this month.

Deputy Minister Han stressed that protecting high-risk groups, especially those in their 60s or older, would be key to fully returning to normal.

"The government will increase the number of booster injections and oral COVID-19 prescriptions for high-risk groups in an effort to prepare for a return to normality without a hitch," he said.

Separately, South Korea will gradually continue operating international passenger ferries between Korea and China, also starting next Monday.