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Yesterday (19th), there were 110,000 new confirmed cases of Corona, showing a modest decline.

The government plans to begin a full-fledged review from next week on whether to lift the obligation to wear an outdoor mask, but the Presidential Transition Committee expressed the opinion that a cautious approach is necessary.



Reporter Han Seong-hee reports.



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number of new COVID-19 cases was 111,319, the lowest in nine weeks since February 16, when the number was around 90,000.



The number of severe cases decreased to 808 for five consecutive days, and the death toll was 166, recording the 100-person range for the third day.



The government has determined that the corona epidemic has stabilized and announced that it will discuss whether to remove outdoor masks from next week in earnest.



[Jeon Hae-cheol/Minister of Public Administration and Security: (next week) will decide whether to continue wearing an outdoor mask in early May after a thorough evaluation of the quarantine situation and gathering expert opinions.]



Omicron recombinant mutations XL, XE, XM found in Korea In this case, it is analyzed that the likelihood of it spreading into a relapse is less than the original concern.



But experts who attended the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) symposium today pointed out that it is not yet time to relax.



In the case of a mutated virus, as it lasts for 10 to 14 weeks after the dominant species, a new mutation may appear in the second half of this year, which could cause a resurgence.



An analysis showed that up to 2,700 additional people could die from the pandemic.



The presidential transition committee also took a cautious stance.



[Shin Yong-hyun / Spokesperson of the Presidential Transition Committee: Wearing a mask is the final line of defense.

Declaration of outdoor mask removal should be more cautious.

It is a fairly hasty approach to set a schedule to completely lift the quarantine obligation at the end of May.]



In response to the transition committee's point, the quarantine authorities said they would make a final decision considering the transition committee's opinion while monitoring the quarantine indicators.



(Video coverage: Jeon Gyeong-bae, video editing: Choi Eun-jin, CG: Son Ho-seok·Choi Ha-neul)