SEOUL: South Korea has loosened rules requiring masks to be worn outdoors as COVID-19 cases drop, but many people are not taking them off yet due to pervasive Omicron infections.
Health authorities lifted the mandate on Monday (May 2) in the latest step to relax distancing curbs, even amid opposition from the transition team of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol which has called the decision premature.
Most people were seen wearing masks on the bustling streets in Gwanghwamun district, where government and corporate buildings are located, saying the protection makes them feel more at ease.
“I tried taking it off when I left home but then 70-80 per cent of people I saw downtown were wearing it. I guess it’s too early to get rid of it even when we’re outside,” Lee Byung-young, 61, told Reuters.
Kim Eun-hee, 52, said she would feel safer without a mask if daily infections fall further to about 5,000.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 20,084 new COVID-19 cases for Sunday, with daily cases continuing to drop from a peak of more than 620,000 in mid-March.
People are still required to wear masks indoors, and at outdoor events with 50 attendants or more, such as at rallies, concerts and sports stadiums.
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