Instructions to review the lifting of the compulsory indoors in September
Tips for dressing medical institutions and public transport
While Daejeon City and South Chungcheong Province have taken independent steps to promote ‘no indoor mask’, Prime Minister Han Deok-soo mentioned the possibility of getting rid of indoor masks early. Prime Minister Han said on the 6th, “When the indicators and standards are created and met (remove the indoor mask), it will not interfere with the entire quarantine system.” If so, we may be able to release it earlier. “
At a meeting of the Central Security and Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters in September, Prime Minister Han also issued an order to consider lifting the mandatory wearing of masks indoors. Although Prime Minister Han talked about getting up early, it was based on the premise of stabilizing quarantine indicators, and Daejeon issued its own administrative order in January next year to remove the mask immediately, so it the decision is different. From 00:00 on the same day, there are 443 seriously ill patients in hospital, and a level of 400 has been recorded on the 18th day. If the local government is not charged by formulating a compromise plan, confusion may arise in the quarantine site.
Experts suggested that a compromise plan should be discussed, such as changing the obligation to wear masks inside a ‘recommendation’ and making it compulsory in high-risk places such as medical institutions and public transport. However, they all agreed that the implementation date should be postponed until after winter.
Lee Jae-gap, professor of infectious medicine at Hallym University, said, “In hospitals and facilities with many elderly people, wearing a mask is mandatory, but the rest can be implemented in an autonomous way.” Eom Joong-shik, a professor of infectious medicine at Gachon University’s Gil Hospital, said, “There are many respiratory infections and other cardiovascular diseases between December and February, so there is no room for intensive care beds.” Professor Kim Woo-joo from Korea University’s Department of Infectious Diseases also noted, “In the ‘Triple Demic’ situation where Corona 19, influenza, and parainfluenza are prevalent at the same time, even the influenza vaccination rate for children is low, but there is no scientific basis for lifting the obligation to wear a mask. It is a political quarantine that is aware of public opinion,” he criticized.
The additional vaccination rate during the winter season to prevent severe disease is 8.6% in Daejeon and 9.8% in Chungnam, which is less than 10%. If the number of seriously ill patients increases due to the removal of masks, other neighboring municipalities can share the burden of receiving patients.
Reporters Lee Hyeon-jeong and Seo Yu-mi
