The quarantine authorities have announced that they plan to change the mandatory wearing of masks indoors to recommendations if certain standards are met.



However, it was decided to maintain the obligation to wear indoor masks at nursing homes, hospitals, pharmacies, and social welfare facilities.



The quarantine authorities reported this plan at the National Assembly today (22nd) to coordinate a plan to lift the obligation to wear indoor masks at the National Assembly, said Seong Il-jong, chairman of the People's Power Policy Committee, through a press briefing.



Based on the party-government discussions, the government plans to announce a plan to adjust the indoor mask obligation at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Critical Response) meeting tomorrow.



Seong Policy Committee Chairman said, "The quarantine authorities reported that they plan to lift the obligation to wear indoor masks and change them to recommendations if certain standards are met." "Some facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, pharmacies, and social welfare facilities with high risk will be excluded.”



Then, "The power of the people reflects the experts' suggestions that you can take off your mask with confidence, and the government ordered the government to remove the mask more boldly and quickly and to meet the people's desire to throw off the mask as soon as possible. "he said.



The ruling party's grounds for ordering the lifting of the indoor mask duty are that the severity of the current COVID-19 mutation is significantly low, that masks affect daily inconveniences such as difficulty breathing and children's language development, and that the public has collective immunity and autonomous quarantine capabilities. , etc. have been presented.



Seong, chairman of the Policy Committee, said, "Even if the number of confirmed cases increases after the removal of indoor masks has been changed to a recommendation in the future, we have conveyed the consensus of experts to the government that it is okay to lift them because we have sufficient medical personnel, facilities, and response capabilities." We also conveyed the opinions of experts that the city quarantine period should also be adjusted from 1 week to 3 days," he added.



At the same time, he emphasized, "I asked for the mask duty to be changed to a recommendation as soon as possible so that there would be no inconvenience to the public."



When asked if the government's announcement on the lifting of the mandatory indoor mask-wearing would be faster than in mid-January, the chairman of the Sung Policy Committee said, "It seems that the government has set about three reference points. Passing the peak of Corona 19 and entering a decreasing trend, patients with stomach and severe symptoms. There have been reports that we will keep an eye on the standards in these areas, such as confirming on the graph that the number of deaths has passed the peak and declined."



Regarding whether to change the recommendation to mandatory again if the number of corona 19 confirmed cases surges again, he replied, "If the number of patients suddenly surges or a new mutation is discovered, the government may again return to the requirement to wear a mask to prevent corona 19."



Regarding the timing of lifting hospitals and nursing homes that have decided to maintain the obligation to wear masks indoors, he said, "The quarantine authorities will review it later." said.



Previously, in the opening remarks at the meeting, Chairman Jeong Jin-seok said, "Now is the time to bring about a step forward change through social discussions on the standards, targets, and methods of the obligation to wear indoor masks."



Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong said, "The issue of mask duty adjustment must be decided in the spirit of scientific quarantine."