On the 6th, citizens are purchasing masks at a pharmacy near Jongno 5-ga, Seoul. From this day onward, a duplicate purchase verification system has been established at pharmacies nationwide, requiring presentation of an ID to buy masks. The purchase limit per person has been reduced from 5 masks to 2 masks per person. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] "Monday is the day I can buy masks for myself, and Wednesday is the day I can buy masks for my son on his behalf, so I have to go buy masks twice. I don't know how long I have to wait in line or if I can even find masks in my neighborhood."
Due to the surge in demand for masks amid the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the government announced the 'Mask 5-Day Rotation System,' allowing mask purchases only on designated days to stabilize supply. However, some parents are voicing complaints.
The Mask 5-Day Rotation System sets the days on which people can purchase masks based on the last digit of their birth year. Mondays are for those born in years ending with 1 and 6, Tuesdays for 2 and 7, Wednesdays for 3 and 8, Thursdays for 4 and 9, and Fridays for 5 and 0.
Initially, proxy purchases were not allowed except for disabled persons, but after President Moon Jae-in ordered to "expand the scope of proxy receipt," children aged 10 or younger born after 2010 and elderly people aged 80 or older born before 1940 can have proxies purchase masks for them. The proxy purchaser, who lives with the person, must bring their own ID and a resident registration certificate listing the cohabitant.
The problem is that many proxy purchasers cannot buy masks for their children or elderly parents on the days they themselves are allowed to purchase.
For example, if a parent born in 1981 has a child born in 2012, the parent can buy their own mask on Monday, but the child's mask can only be purchased on Tuesday. This lack of flexibility in the proxy purchase system is being criticized.
Parents with multiple children are even more dissatisfied.
A woman in her 30s raising three children said, "All my children are under 10 years old, born in 2015, 2016, and 2019," and added, "I was born in 1981, so except for my second child, the days don't overlap, so I have to stand in line at the pharmacy on Monday, Thursday, and Friday."
She said, "My husband said he would take a day off on the day that overlaps with our youngest son's day," and lamented, "It's fortunate that proxy purchases became possible, but it would have been better if the proxy purchaser could buy masks for their dependents on their own designated day."
B, who has two children, also said, "We're not hoarding, but if the address is the same, it would be nice to be able to buy masks for the whole family at once," and added, "Since both my spouse and I work, we can't run around pharmacies during the week, so we plan to leave the children with someone on the weekend and buy masks for them then."
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