Seoul City Establishes Detailed Guidelines for the Nation's First 'Mandatory Mask-Wearing Administrative Order'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] "Do I have to wear a mask when taking a walk alone in the park?" "Is it okay to take off the mask when riding in a passenger car?" "Do I have to forcibly put a mask on my 12-month-old baby?"

Seoul City announced on the 31st that it has established detailed guidelines for mandatory mask-wearing to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the first of its kind nationwide. To enable citizens to apply them immediately in daily life, the guidelines will be posted on the city and COVID-19 dedicated websites, along with a Q&A casebook to aid understanding, which will also be distributed.

The city explained that as the administrative order mandating mask-wearing across all areas of Seoul came into full effect on the 24th, inquiries from citizens about the detailed standards surged, prompting the preparation of these detailed guidelines as a follow-up measure to the administrative order.

Regarding the scope of mandatory mask-wearing spaces according to the guidelines, masks must be worn indoors everywhere, and outdoors when ▲gathering, meetings, events, assemblies, or other situations where many people come together and have contact with others ▲when it is difficult to maintain a 2-meter distance between people and there is a risk of contact.

However, exceptions to mandatory mask-wearing apply when one is alone at home or indoors, or only with family members in everyday private spaces, and when consuming food, alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, etc. Also, in cases where wearing a mask causes breathing difficulties or health deterioration, when masks must be removed for health or hygiene activities, when necessary for smooth official duties, when masks must be removed to perform one's main job or maintain livelihood, or when the nature of the location makes mask-wearing difficult, masks do not have to be worn regardless of indoor or outdoor settings.

Since these guidelines are the first to be created and implemented nationwide, the city expects some shortcomings during on-site application and plans to actively collect citizens' opinions and continuously improve any parts that need enhancement.

Park Yu-mi, Director of the Seoul City Citizen Health Bureau, said, "Despite implementing various quarantine measures, the spread of COVID-19 infections has not subsided. Seoul City's last hope lies in 'the citizens' and 'masks'." She earnestly urged, "We sincerely ask all citizens to become the main agents of quarantine and voluntarily comply with the guidelines."

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