South Korea will lift its outdoor mask mandate next week in response to a steady drop in Covid-19 cases after an Omicron-fuelled surge.
The announcement comes after the South Korean government dropped almost all other social-distancing measures earlier this month, ending two years of strict requirements that put a massive strain on the country's small businesses.
From Monday, residents will no longer be required to wear facemasks outdoors unless attending an event with more than 50 participants, health authorities said. "As social-distancing measures are lifted and the mask mandate is being adjusted, people are increasingly returning to their normal lives," Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, told reporters. "This is all thanks to the patience and cooperation of the people over a long period of time," Ms Jeong added.
South Korea's incoming administration, headed by conservative president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, has criticised the decision to end the mask mandate as "premature", questioning if it had been based solely on "virus prevention measures".