South Korea to Lift Indoor Mask Mandate on January 30

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2023) South Korea will cancel from January 30 the COVID-19 requirement that mandates wearing masks indoors, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said on Friday.

"COVID-19 cases have been on the decline for three weeks in a row, and the situation has remained stable in Korea," he was quoted as saying by the Korea Herald daily during a cabinet meeting.

The move comes three years after the mask wear rule was introduced. Some high-risk public spaces, including hospitals, will continue to require face coverings.

Jee Young-mee, commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, told a news briefing that Koreans should exercise caution around COVID-19 patients and people with respiratory disease symptoms. He also advised people to wear masks in crowded or poorly ventilated spaces.