Returning to our normal life (pre-COVID)
Expectations of fully removing masks
Changes implemented on May 2nd
Standards for indoor and outdoor mask wearing
[ 해외 특파원 1기 / 김정욱 기자 ] The obligation to wearing masks outdoors will be lifted on May 2nd in South Korea. There are a few exceptions such as wearing masks where more than 50 people have gathered, however, in most environments, masks can be taken off. As the level of social distancing has reduced, expectations and hope for daily recovery are heightening since the announcement of the lift of wearing masks outdoors. If the guidelines for quarantine of confirmed patients are eased within the month of May as originally planned, only wearing masks indoors will remain as a major quarantine action. Nevertheless, South Korean analysts say that the current presidential transition committee are being cautious of lifting quarantine obligations, and that the quarantine authorities are also maintaining the position of keeping the obligation to wear masks indoors, thus expecting a long time to fully recover.
Regardless of the social distancing level, the mandatory measure to wear indoor and outdoor masks began on April 12th, 2021. Authorities imposed a fine of 100,000 won if they did not wear a mask and distance themselves from others by more than 2 metres even if they were outdoors. Therefore, due to the changes implemented on May 2nd, it will be approximately 400 days since masks were worn outdoors.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced that they will lift the mandatory condition of wearing masks outdoors, where continuous natural ventilation system takes place. They explained that the risk of infection through airborne droplet (saliva) transmission is significantly lower than that of indoors, and that major countries such as Singapore, New Zealand, and France have already lifted the obligation to wearing masks outdoors. As a result, masks can be taken off in outdoor places such as beaches or in amusement parks.
However, due to such sudden changes a lot of standards are required in order to take off one’s masks. For instance, even outdoors, masks must be worn at rallies, performances, and sports events where more than 50 people gather. In addition, the quarantine authorities explained that if you have suspected symptoms of COVID-19 and if you are in a high-risk group such as the elderly, immunization, and unvaccinated, or in a place where it is difficult to maintain a 1 metre distance with other peoples like a place where a large number of people are gathered, it is highly recommended to wear a mask. The interior is no different from outdoor standards. The ‘interior’ refers to a space that has a ceiling or roof and is blocked on all sides. It also refers to all structures or buildings separated from the outside due to boundaries on all sides. Transportation such as buses, taxis, trains, ships, aircraft, and vehicles are also considered indoors, but if more than two of the four sides are open and natural ventilation system is possible, it is considered outdoor.
It has been approximately 2 weeks since the lift of wearing masks outdoors, however, it seems as if people are wary of removing masks when outdoors. Additionally, people are raising issues of inconvenience since people remove masks when they leave a building but have to soon wear masks to go on public transportation such as the bus or the subway. Nevertheless, not wearing masks outdoors is a large step to returning back to our normalised lives. The average of COVID-19 cases in South Korea this week was 33,976 people (2nd week of May 2022).
