First work to remove a mask indoors on the 30th… At the bus stop, company conference room, swimming pool or gym?

From the 30th, the obligation to wear masks indoors will be lifted. Depending on detailed government guidelines, each local government sets the targets for negligence due to not wearing, so facilities where masks cannot be removed may vary from region to region.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 29th, the duty to wear them will be maintained in the Seoul area, and fines will be imposed for not wearing them, among facilities open to infection, indoor facilities, medical institutions, pharmacies and public transportation.

‘Indoor’ refers to means of transport such as buses, taxis, trains, ships, aircraft or other vehicles, buildings, and all structures that are divided on all sides and separated from the outside. If there is a ceiling or roof and all sides are closed, it is indoors, and if the ceiling or roof or two or more sides are open, it is ‘open air’. In particular, the interior of a building (structure) is not outdoors even if there is ventilation through windows.

On the 30th, if you have to use public transport such as the bus or the subway on your way to work, at what point should you start wearing a mask?

The city of Seoul announced that it is mandatory to wear it while “on board” a train or vehicle, and fines will be imposed for not wearing it. Pick-up and drop-off points are not subject to fines. However, it is strongly recommended to wear a mask in an airtight, dense, or closed ‘three dense’ environment where ventilation is difficult.

The same applies to meetings held in offices within facilities that do not require the wearing of masks. It is strongly recommended that you wear a mask if the ventilation is not sufficient or if it is difficult to keep a distance of more than 1m from the person next to you.

In addition, the city of Seoul recommends wearing an indoor mask when riding an elevator even in places where indoor masks are not mandatory, such as apartments and department stores.

According to government guidelines, it is possible to remove the mask in general indoor sports facilities, but in swimming pools in mandatory facilities such as hospitals, masks must be worn in changing rooms, except in the water. Baths and saunas in mask-mandatory facilities are also ‘in the water’, so no fines are given for not wearing masks indoors, but they must be worn outside the bath, the sweat room, and the shower room.

Gyms in mask-mandatory indoor facilities such as nursing homes are also required to wear them. However, the Seoul Metropolitan Government explained that if breathing is difficult due to intense exercise, you should immediately remove the mask and take a break in a separate area separated from others.

Then, what about the case where a ‘pharmacy’ that has to wear a mask is located in a ‘hypermarket’ that is exempt from the obligation to wear it indoors?

The city of Seoul announced that the duty to wear a mask only applies to areas reported as pharmacies, and if you do not wear a mask in that area, you will be subject to a fine. Public areas such as moving aisles in supermarkets are areas where fines are not issued.

If you remove your mask for a while to take a photo in an indoor mask wearing facility, can it be recognized as an exception when imposing an administrative fine?

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, parties giving or receiving awards at official events such as appointment ceremonies, contract ceremonies, and awards are exempted from wearing a mask for limited moments for filming. However, he was advised to refrain from the conversation.

It is a principle to wear masks for health use (KF-94, KF-80, etc.), which have been checked for droplet blocking performance and safety, or products approved as ‘semi-drugs’ by the Food and Drug Administration . Safety, such as droplet blocking (KF-AD) and surgical masks ·A cloth/cotton, disposable mask or an electronic mask that completely covers the nose is also acceptable. However, covering the face with clothing such as mesh/valve masks or neck warmers/scarves is not recognized as wearing a mask.

In accordance with the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases Act (Article 49), a fine of up to 100,000 won is imposed on those who break the law regardless of the number of offences. A fine of up to 3 million won will be imposed if the manager / operator of the facility violates management duties, such as instructions on wearing a mask.