As the world faced the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, South Korea showed signs of a gradual return to normalcy while seeing a rise in infections.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced on December 23 that it will ease the indoor mask mandate to a recommendation in phases, after reviewing infection trends and risk factors concerning different facilities.
Authorities will need to check off two out of four key indicators for discussions to begin on first-phase adjustments, including the number of daily infections, deaths and patients in critical care as well as healthcare capacity and the immunity rate among high-risk groups.
Although mask-wearing will be lowered to a recommendation during the first phase, it will remain required for health care facilities, pharmacies, social welfare centers and public transportation.
Observers believe the first phase could happen as early as the lunar New Year holidays beginning on January 21.
Ironically, efforts to regain normalcy were made as the number of infections surged sharply.
With the omicron subvariant spreading rapidly from early in the year, daily infections posted a new high on March 17 of 621-thousand-328. The nation’s cumulative caseload topped 28 million in December, equivalent to around half of the entire population.
A majority of social distancing rules were either lifted or eased this year. In April, the government removed all limits on private gatherings and business hours as well as a ban on food consumption at multi-use indoor facilities, such as movie theaters. In September, the government completely lifted the outdoor mask mandate, 17 months after implementing the rule.
The only social distancing rules that remain in place are the indoor mask mandate and the seven-day quarantine requirement for COVID-19 patients.
Photo : KBS News, YONHAP News
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