Vaccinated Individuals Allowed 'No Mask' Outdoors from July
"Awareness Fades" Uneasy Citizens
UK, with 80% Adult Vaccination, Reports 10,000 Cases After No Mask Policy
Experts Say "Too Early to Remove Masks"
On the 23rd of last month, citizens visiting Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul are enjoying a holiday outing. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The government’s decision to lift the outdoor mask-wearing mandate for those who have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine starting this July has sparked considerable concern.
Critics point out that the proportion of fully vaccinated individuals is not high enough to justify removing masks, and that it could cause confusion due to difficulties in quarantine management and supervision. Experts also analyze that it is premature to stop wearing masks under the current circumstances.
On the 20th, the government unveiled a new 'social distancing' reform plan to respond to COVID-19. According to the plan, starting from the 1st of next month, the metropolitan area will implement the new level 2 social distancing, while other regions will apply level 1 quarantine measures.
In the metropolitan area, the operating hours for restaurants and cafes, currently restricted until 10 p.m., will be extended by two hours until midnight. Additionally, entertainment facilities and holdem pubs in the metropolitan area, which have been closed for several months, will be allowed to reopen.
The ban on private gatherings of five or more people will also be eased; for two weeks until the 14th, gatherings of up to six people will be allowed, and thereafter up to eight people. Since vaccinated individuals are excluded from the headcount restrictions, the size of private gatherings could increase further.
In non-metropolitan areas, meetings will be permitted regardless of group size as long as basic quarantine rules such as mask-wearing and visitor logs are properly followed.
Separately from the reform plan, the government also announced a plan to implement vaccination incentives. According to this plan, starting in July, both those who have received the first dose and those fully vaccinated will not be required to wear masks outdoors in places like parks and hiking trails. However, masks must still be worn at gatherings or events where many people assemble.
On the 18th, when private gatherings were allowed up to 8 people, 8 people gathered at a restaurant near Buk-gu Office in Gwangju, toasting with beverages. Photo by Yonhap News
However, there is widespread concern among citizens regarding the lifting of the outdoor mask mandate. Even though vaccination rates are rising and new cases are decreasing, many argue that the regulation allowing mask removal is premature.
Office worker Seo (29) said, "Even outdoors, I think it’s still too early to take off masks. If some people remove their masks, those who haven’t been vaccinated yet will also want to take them off, which could weaken vigilance toward quarantine. How will they verify if someone who hasn’t been vaccinated is wearing a mask? It’s impossible to check every time, and this will increase people’s anxiety."
Netizens also expressed unease with comments such as, "We could ease quarantine measures slowly, so I don’t understand why they are rushing," "I’m vaccinated, but I still feel uneasy about taking off my mask," and "There are cases of infection even after vaccination, isn’t this too risky?"
The dangers of going maskless can also be seen in the example of the UK, which implemented this policy earlier. About 80% of adults in the UK have received the first vaccine dose, and over 60% have completed the second dose. Last month, the UK eased lockdown restrictions and lifted mask-wearing recommendations.
However, with the rapid spread of the India-origin Delta variant, new cases recently exceeded 10,000, marking the biggest crisis since February. The UK government ultimately postponed the planned lifting of restrictions scheduled for today (21st) by one month.
In South Korea, currently 29% of the population has received the first dose, and less than 10% have completed the second dose. Consequently, concerns are growing that the no-mask policy could potentially trigger a large-scale outbreak.
On the 10th, citizens are receiving the Janssen vaccine at Kyungseong Clinic in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News
In response to these concerns, the government stated that the UK case is not related to the domestic situation. Kwon Deok-cheol, the first deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), said at a briefing on the 20th, "In the UK, COVID-19 resurged after the strict lockdown was lifted before sufficient vaccination coverage was achieved, leading to a significant relaxation of quarantine vigilance. This situation is different from ours."
He added, "In our country, citizens have been following quarantine rules well, and quarantine measures have been properly observed in multi-use facilities. This easing is based on the premise that basic quarantine rules are followed."
Experts pointed out that lifting the outdoor mask mandate is somewhat premature. Professor Eom Jung-sik, an infectious disease specialist at Gachon University Gil Medical Center, said, "It is difficult to differentiate mask-wearing between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Managing and supervising this is impossible. Ultimately, everyone will remove their masks, leading to an increase in confirmed cases and a major outbreak."
He continued, "Various variables may arise once masks are removed. Variants may emerge, and there is still insufficient evidence to confirm safety. While the number of first-dose recipients is increasing significantly, those fully vaccinated still account for less than 10% of the entire population. Removing masks is premature."
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