SEOUL, Dec. 9 (Yonhap) — South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said on Friday that the government would set criteria for deciding whether to lift the mask mandate in under-roof places later this month.
“The specific criteria for the decision will be defined by a meeting of the Security and Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters this month, following an open debate and discussion by the advisory committee,” the prime minister said in a response meeting.
He also explained that the government will advise or require people to voluntarily wear masks indoors if COVID-19 containment situations meet specific standards, including the number of infections and deaths per day.
The Prime Minister said that considering people’s lives and safety as the top priority is a principle that never changes.
South Korea has lifted most of its pandemic-related restrictions since May; however, the mandatory use of masks in closed spaces and on public transport remains in force.
The prime minister said the mandate for indoor masks could be lifted sooner than expected if more people receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
The government has asked people over the age of 60 to get the updated booster, and about 24 percent of them have been vaccinated so far, Han said.
Similarly, those over 18 are eligible for updated booster vaccinations, as long as it has been 90 days since they were last vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19.
Booster shot inoculation for people aged 12 and over will be available from next week, according to the prime minister.
Regarding the protracted truckers’ strike, which disrupted the supply chain, the Prime Minister reiterated the government’s hard line.
Han said that the conditions to cancel the refusal of transportation are not accepted, which holds the national economy and people’s livelihood hostage in the face of severe internal and external conditions.
As the striking truck drivers voted to end the strike or not, Han called on them to return to work as soon as possible to normalize the national economy and minimize public disruption.
