Korea lifts outdoor mask mandate
People wearing masks walk near Yeouido Station in Seoul, May 2, the first day after the lifting of outdoor mask mandate. Yonhap
New COVID-19 cases fell to around 20,000 for Sunday, marking the lowest level in nearly three months, as the government lifted the outdoor mask mandate in a major step toward regaining normalcy.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 20,084 new infections, including 26 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,295,733.
Sunday's tally is a marked drop from the previous day's 37,771, and is the first time since early February that the daily count was in the 20,000s.
The country added 83 COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total to 22,958, the KDCA said, for a fatality rate of 0.13 percent; while the number of critically ill patients came to 461, down 32 it added.
In line with the recent downward trend, the government scrapped the outdoor mask mandate starting Monday, except for large gatherings of 50 or more.
The restriction had been in place since October 2020, and those violating the rule could have faced fines.
The relaxation decision came as the peak of the Omicron-driven virus wave has passed and the country has maintained a stable medical response system, according to health officials.
Mask wearing, however, is still recommended when it is difficult for people to keep a 1-meter distance from each other at gatherings and in circumstances where lots of droplets of saliva could be expelled, such as shouting and singing.
It is also highly advised for those who have suspected COVID-19 symptoms and who are at high risk of infections.
The administration eased most of the strict social distancing restrictions in mid-April, including private gathering limits and business hour curfews.
As of midnight Sunday, 44.55 million people, or 86.8 percent of the population, had been vaccinated with the first two shots, and 33.13 million people (64.5 percent) had received first booster shots.
The number of those who have received second booster shots came to 2.12 million, which accounted for 4.1 percent of the population, the KDCA said. (Yonhap)