"Should I Take My Elderly Mother to the Pharmacy?" Mask 5-Day Rotation System Sparks Controversy Over Proxy Purchases for Seniors and Infants

'Mask 5-Day Rotation' Starting Next Week: Elderly and Infants Cannot Have Proxies Purchase
Elderly with Mobility Issues and Immunocompromised Children at Risk of COVID-19 Infection
Government: "Mask Supply Limited... Unavoidable Policy"

Around 7 a.m. on the 5th, at a pharmacy in Jongno 5-ga, Seoul. A sign on the entrance door states that masks are sold out. Photo by Yeonju Kim, Intern Reporter yeonju1853@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Lim Joo-hyung] #A (47), who lives in Bupyeong, Gyeonggi Province, is worried about getting masks for his mother. Starting next week, the 'Mask 5-Day Rotation System' will begin, and he will have to personally accompany his mother, who has difficulty moving, to a nearby pharmacy. A said, "My mother is not completely immobile, but she needs to use a wheelchair when going out," adding, "Thinking about pushing her wheelchair and standing in a long line worries me. I'm also concerned that my mother, who has a weak immune system, might get infected."

The government’s 'Mask 5-Day Rotation System by Birth Year,' introduced as a solution to mask supply issues, will start on the 9th. This system allows people to purchase public masks only on designated days based on the last digit of their birth year.

If the last digit of the birth year is '1 or 6,' masks can be purchased on Monday; '2 or 7' on Tuesday; '3 or 8' on Wednesday; '4 or 9' on Thursday; and '5 or 0' on Friday. The purchase limit is two masks per person per week. To prevent duplicate purchases, an ID must also be presented.

The problem is that, except for people with disabilities, the elderly and infants cannot have someone else purchase masks on their behalf.

Elderly people must bring their ID and purchase masks themselves, just like adults. Minors can only purchase masks if they visit with their legal guardians and present identification such as a passport, student ID, or resident registration certificate, along with the legal guardian’s ID and resident registration certificate.

On the 3rd, citizens lined up in a long queue to buy masks at Hanaro Mart Seoseoul Nonghyup Sangam Branch in Mapo-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

Because of this, concerns have been raised that elderly people with mobility difficulties and children with weak immune systems could be exposed to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

On some mom cafes, netizens expressed mixed worries such as, "It's good that the mask distribution method is improving, but I hesitate to go out with my child," "What if the kids catch COVID-19 when we go to buy masks? The lines will be long, and who knows who might be infected," and "We are not letting the kids go outside at all right now."

One netizen suggested, "It would be better if we could bring a family relationship certificate and purchase masks all at once."

However, the government maintains that this is an unavoidable measure to balance the supply and demand of public masks.

On the 6th, Lee Ui-kyung, Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "The government has thought a lot about the issues concerning the elderly and infants," adding, "Because the supply is very limited, we decided to strictly implement this system as a principle."

He explained, "Currently, the supply is insufficient. Out of the weekly production of 60 to 70 million masks, 40 to 50 million masks are distributed to the public after excluding the demand from medical staff and vulnerable groups," and added, "Masks can also be purchased in the private sector, and if healthy people who do not work in enclosed spaces or stay at home make some concessions, we expect the Mask 5-Day Rotation System to work."

The commissioner asked for public understanding, saying, "It will be inconvenient, but this is an unavoidable policy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.