The indoor mask restriction will be finally lifted from late this month, more than two years after the regulation was imposed at the height of COVID-19 in October, 2020.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters said on Friday the mandate will be lifted for most indoor spaces from January 30.

Earlier, health authorities had said indoor masking rules will be downgraded to a recommendation in two stages, and the nation will enter the first stage upon meeting two out of four criteria.

The headquarters said the infections and other conditions have stabilized for a first-stage transition, including domestic and international COVID-19 trends and the fulfilling of major pre-designated criteria.

New subvariants of the virus as well as developments overseas will likely have a limited impact on local policy changes, it said.

Presiding over a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters earlier in the day, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said the timing to lift the mandate is set for after the Lunar New Year holiday given a probable increase in travel and in-person contact during the holiday.

The prime minister still expressed confidence in the government’s capacity to deal with the pandemic, calling it “manageable,” and gave assurances that three out of the four criteria for removing indoor masking have reached target figures.

The three criteria met are a stable number of daily infections, a reduction in critical cases and deaths, a sufficient capacity of ICU beds to treat critically ill patients and an acceptable immunity level within high-risk groups. The booster vaccination coverage among the elderly remains the only exception.

However, health authorities said indoor mask rules will remain in place for the time being at high-risk facilities such as nursing homes, mental health care facilities, and welfare centers for those with disabilities or public transportation.

Public transportation includes buses, taxis, subways, trains, passenger ships, and commercial planes.

Authorities strongly advised that masks be worn when experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, for people considered to be at high risk, after having contact with a patient, inside a high-density indoor venue, or in situations where people are shouting or singing.

The government also urged people to continue to follow daily quarantine guidelines, such as hand-washing and regular ventilation.