From the 26th... "Masks will be completely removed outdoors"

Mandatory Outdoor Mask Wearing Lifted from the 26th
Baseball Stadiums and Outdoor Concerts Also 'No Mask'

The stands of professional sports, which had been closed due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, have reopened. On the first day of professional baseball spectators' admission, the 26th, citizens visiting Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul are cheering while maintaining social distance. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism decided to allow spectators to enter at 10% capacity starting from the professional baseball games held on this day. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Starting from the 26th, the outdoor mask-wearing mandate will be completely lifted. Masks will no longer be required when watching games at baseball stadiums or attending outdoor concerts.

On the 23rd, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stated at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting held at the Government Seoul Office, "We are clearly overcoming the critical phase of the COVID-19 resurgence," adding, "Considering the quarantine situation and public inconvenience, we will lift low-risk quarantine regulations one by one after consulting experts."

The government had previously mandated mask-wearing at outdoor gatherings, performances, and sports events with more than 50 people. However, considering the relatively low risk of outdoor infection, the government decided to lift this requirement starting Monday the 26th after administrative procedures.

Earlier, the National Infectious Disease Crisis Response Advisory Committee also conveyed to authorities that a full lifting of the outdoor mask mandate is desirable. There had been debates about the effectiveness of wearing masks outdoors, especially since eating and drinking are already allowed in crowded outdoor spaces such as sports stadiums.

However, the indoor mask-wearing mandate will remain in place for the time being. This measure takes into account the increase in flu patients and the possibility of a COVID-19 resurgence during winter. Prime Minister Han urged, "For infection prevention, mask-wearing indoors, hand washing, and regular ventilation remain the best quarantine measures," and asked the public to continue personal preventive efforts.

A government survey of 10,000 citizens on COVID-19 antibody positivity rates showed that 97.38% have antibodies through vaccination or natural infection. The antibody positivity rate from natural infection was 57.65%, which is more than 19 percentage points higher than the cumulative confirmed case rate of 38.15% during the same period. This indicates that about 20% of infections were undiagnosed. The quarantine authorities plan to continue accumulating data by conducting long-term follow-up surveys on antibody level changes to inform future policy-making.

Prime Minister Han said, "Currently, about 210,000 citizens are undergoing home treatment, and 360,000 elderly people in nursing hospitals and facilities are facing situations where they cannot even hold the hands of their visiting children," adding, "The government will do its utmost until the day we completely overcome COVID-19."

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