"All Quarantine Rules Lifted" ... When Can Masks Be Taken Off Indoors?

Despite Full Outdoor Mask Mandate Lift, Many Still Wear Masks
Experts Say "Application Targets and Timing Should Be Gradually Relaxed"

On the 8th, citizens are waiting for the event at Yeouido Hangang Park, where the '2022 Seoul World Fireworks Festival' was held. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

# On the 9th, at a hotel buffet restaurant in Seoul, it was hard to find customers wearing masks, whether sitting at their seats eating or going to get food. In contrast, all the staff cooking or serving food wore masks thoroughly covering their noses. A restaurant official explained, "Although more customers than usual came due to the holiday, the restaurant is not subject to restrictions, so they are free from (mask-wearing). They just need to put them back on when they finish eating and leave."

# On the evening of the 8th, at Yeouido Hangang Park where a fireworks festival was in full swing, about half of the citizens wore masks and the other half did not. Since the 26th of last month, masks have been allowed to be removed outdoors, but many citizens still wore masks. University student Yoon said, "Although it is outdoors, people are packed closely together, so I feel a bit reluctant to take off my mask," adding, "It's chilly and windy, so it's just more comfortable to keep it on."

The obligation to wear masks outdoors has completely disappeared, and now there are calls to lift the indoor mask-wearing mandate as well. With the number of new COVID-19 cases continuously decreasing, and from the 1st of this month, PCR tests for overseas arrivals abolished, most quarantine rules have disappeared, raising the question of whether it is still necessary to enforce indoor mask-wearing. Countries such as the United States, France, and Denmark do not mandate indoor mask-wearing, which supports this opinion. Parents raising infants and young children are concerned that prolonged mask-wearing might negatively affect their children's language development.

Decline in Rebound and Stabilization of Quarantine Indicators

Since the COVID-19 resurgence this summer, the number of new cases has been gradually decreasing after peaking at the end of August. As of midnight on the 10th, the daily new cases fell below 10,000 for the first time in over three months, recording 8,891 cases. This is 8,673 fewer than the previous day (17,654 on the 9th), 3,161 fewer than a week ago (12,142 on the 3rd), and 5,172 fewer than two weeks ago (14,153 on the 26th of last month).

This is the first time in 98 days since July 4th (6,242 cases) that daily new cases have dropped below 10,000. Even considering Mondays, it is the lowest in 14 weeks since July 4th. This is attributed to a sharp decline in testing during the Hangeul Day holiday.

Major quarantine indicators are also generally stable. The number of critically ill patients remains in the 300s, creating considerable room in the total hospital bed capacity (1,792 beds). The fatality rate per 1 million population is 0.1%, comparable to the seasonal flu fatality rate of 0.05?0.1%, and lower than levels in the US (1.1%), UK (0.8%), and France (0.5%).

Experts expect the downward trend in COVID-19 cases to continue for the time being. According to the COVID-19 mathematical modeling task force (TF), Professor Lee Chang-hyung’s research team at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) projects that when the reproduction number (Rt) is 0.7206, new cases will decrease to 15,658 on the 12th and further to 11,881 on the 19th. If Rt drops to 0.3, new cases will fall to 5,676 two weeks later. The government also expects daily new cases to decrease to between 10,000 and 20,000 and daily deaths to the tens by mid-month.

Winter Flu and Respiratory Disease Outbreaks Also a Variable

Experts agree that the indoor mask mandate should be lifted soon, just like the outdoor mandate, but opinions differ somewhat on the timing of the lift.

Professor Eom Jung-sik, an infectious disease specialist at Gachon University Gil Medical Center, said, "If considering only COVID-19, masks could be removed indoors immediately, but currently, with winter approaching, various respiratory diseases coexist," adding, "This could cause confusion in medical diagnosis and potentially lead to a shortage of hospital beds, so it is advisable to wait at least until January next year."

Professor Song Jeong-heup, former preventive medicine professor at Kyungpook National University Hospital, also said, "Since COVID-19 is not completely over and influenza is spreading, masks should continue to be worn indoors for the time being." Professor Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University Guro Hospital, pointed out, "Premature lifting of the indoor mask mandate risks lowering vigilance toward quarantine."

However, since opinions and policy acceptance vary depending on individuals’ COVID-19 infection history and health status, some suggest that rather than enforcing mask-wearing, a phased lifting or voluntary guidelines would be better.

Professor Jung Jae-hoon, a preventive medicine professor at Gachon University Gil Medical Center, said, "Ultimately, lifting the indoor mask mandate should lead to recommendations rather than enforcement," adding, "Even after the outdoor mask mandate was lifted, many people still wore masks, so individual choice and risk assessment should be respected." He also noted, "It is appropriate to maintain mandatory mask-wearing in crowded facilities such as public transportation and medical institutions for the time being, with a gradual easing."

Professor Lee Kyung-soo of Yeungnam University’s preventive medicine department also said, "It is necessary to first lift the mandate in large, well-ventilated facilities and maintain it for vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals for the time being," criticizing the logic that "since other countries have lifted indoor mask mandates, Korea should do the same" as inappropriate. Professor Eom added, "It would be good to stop the indoor mask mandate first for infants and young children, for whom language development is critical."

The quarantine authorities maintain a somewhat conservative stance, mentioning the possibility of simultaneous outbreaks of influenza and COVID-19 this winter and stating that they will consider lifting indoor mask mandates after the winter resurgence. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency stated at the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee’s audit on the 5th, "The lifting of indoor mask mandates will be discussed after winter by the National Infectious Disease Crisis Response Advisory Committee, which will consider criteria, scope, and timing for adjustment."

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