South Korea will lift all its physical distancing restrictions, the government announced on Friday (April 15), except the wearing of masks indoors, as cases of Covid-19 due to the Omicron variant are on the decline.
“The midnight curfew” for businesses and gatherings limited to 10 people “will be lifted from Monday,” Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announced.
The move marks the end of two years of tight restrictions due to the pandemic, which have strained small businesses, and hints at a return to normalcy in South Korea.
Mask-wearing, however, will remain mandatory indoors "for a considerable period of time", authorities said, adding that they could lift the requirement to wear masks outdoors in two weeks, if the number of cases continues to fall. .
This measure "for a long period is "inevitable" in order to prevent another resurgence of cases, added Kim Boo-kyum.
Favorable context
The context for the lifting of restrictions seems favorable: South Korea has passed the epidemic wave caused by the Omicron variant, and the number of daily cases fell below 100,000 last week, after peaking more of 620,000 daily cases in mid-March.
More than 86% of the 51 million South Koreans have been fully vaccinated, with the majority also receiving a booster dose.
South Korea is issuing a second booster dose for vulnerable populations.
With AFP
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