"Return to Daily Life from 2 Years Ago" ... 'Mask' Left as the Last Defense

On the 15th, when the government decided to fully lift social distancing measures after 2 years and 1 month, office workers wearing masks were heading to work on Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

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The government's complete lifting of COVID-19 social distancing measures, including restrictions on private gatherings and business hours, is interpreted as a judgment that the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the Omicron variant has fully passed its peak. In particular, it appears that the government also considered the difficult-to-ignore voices of small business owners and self-employed individuals who have suffered severe economic damage. However, the decision on when to lift the last line of defense in quarantine, mask-wearing, was postponed for two weeks without a conclusion.

Social distancing measures have recently been criticized for losing their effectiveness as the COVID-19 outbreak has continued to decline and the healthcare system has stabilized. The government has also prioritized lifting social distancing measures that cause significant social and economic damage while promoting a return to normal life.

After the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Korea in January 2020, the government ordered the suspension of operations at religious facilities, indoor sports facilities, and entertainment venues in March, and began nationwide everyday distancing measures from May. In January 2021, the government raised the response level by applying a nationwide ban on private gatherings of five or more people, and from mid-July, implemented high-intensity measures such as limiting private gatherings in the Seoul metropolitan area to two people after 6 p.m. or allowing only takeout at cafes.

In November last year, the government declared a 'step-by-step recovery to daily life (With COVID-19)' and lifted business hour restrictions at multi-use facilities. However, as confirmed cases surged again, social distancing measures were reinstated, including limiting restaurant and cafe business hours to 9 p.m., and some regulations have been maintained until now. Since late last month, as the Omicron wave has shown a gradual decline, the government has gradually eased gathering limits and business hours, but even in early this month, which was effectively the last social distancing phase, the number of people allowed to gather increased only from 8 to 10, and business hours were extended by just one hour from 11 p.m. to midnight.

The government's decision to finally lift most social distancing measures is based on the judgment that the Omicron variant wave, which had spread to the extent that daily new cases exceeded 620,000 last month, has clearly entered a declining phase. On the 15th, the number of new COVID-19 cases was 125,846, a decrease of more than 70,000 compared to 205,312 cases on the 8th a week earlier, and more than 150,000 compared to 280,243 cases on the 1st two weeks earlier.

Ko Jae-young, spokesperson for the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, explained, "Authorities and researchers predict that the current decline in cases will continue for the time being," adding, "We must maintain vigilance while preparing for a new normal and transition to an efficient quarantine management system."

However, it remains concerning that COVID-19 has repeatedly surged, plateaued, and declined over the past two years, with new variants continuing to emerge following Delta and Omicron. There are also voices warning that the movement toward normal life could inadvertently lead to another wave, given the limitations of infection prevention through vaccination.

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said, "We consider the possibility of new variant-driven outbreaks or increased virus transmissibility in winter as uncertain risk factors." Lee Sang-won, head of the Epidemiological Investigation and Analysis Team at the Central Disease Control Headquarters, also pointed out, "It is dangerous to assume there will be no resurgence because we do not know what variants may emerge in the future and immunity may weaken over time."

The government's extension of the indoor and outdoor mask-wearing mandate, the most basic quarantine measure, despite declaring the full lifting of social distancing, is interpreted as a thorough preparation under the assumption that risks may arise again. According to a recent survey conducted by Professor Yoo Myung-soon’s team at Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Public Health, involving 1,018 adults nationwide, the most effective measure perceived for preventing COVID-19 infection was 'mandatory mask-wearing' (85.9%), followed by 'ban on gatherings at high-risk facilities such as entertainment venues' (42.9%), 'limits on private gathering sizes' (42.0%), and 'restrictions on operating hours of multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes' (32.9%).

Professor Kim Yoon of the Department of Medical Management at Seoul National University College of Medicine stated, "As social distancing has been eased several times, our citizens are now living their daily lives based on reasonable personal standards according to the situation. If the outbreak resurges, social distancing adjustments should be considered again according to the situation, focusing on protecting vulnerable groups such as nursing hospitals, facilities, and high-risk populations."

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