<Anchor> The



government has announced that it will change the mandatory indoor mask measure to recommended or voluntary wearing from early next year.

It is said that the specific procedure will be announced within this month, but it seems that measures will be started after the peak has passed after watching this trend.



Reporter Shin Yong-sik reports.



<Reporter>



The direction of measures to alleviate the obligation to wear indoor masks suggested by the health authorities is 'recommendation' or 'voluntary wearing'.



It means that the current 100,000 won fine will not be imposed and will be left to autonomy.



[Kwon Byeong-gi/Bang Dae-bon Quarantine Support Head: When looking at the cases of major overseas countries, medical facilities, social welfare facilities, and some public transportation, mainly in these cases (indoor masks are compulsory)]



Restaurants, cafes , Schools and other living facilities will remove the obligation to wear them, but medical facilities and social welfare facilities will maintain them, and public transportation will be decided through discussions with the committee.



It was decided to apply it when the peak of this 7th epidemic is broken and the severely ill patients stabilize. It was originally expected to be in January, but it may be delayed to March.



This is because the number of corona confirmed cases is not decreasing, such as an increase of 9,000 from the previous week to 62,734.



Another variable is that the number of flu patients who can consume corona beds is also increasing, and the number of adolescent flu patients is 58.1 per 1,000, a three-fold increase from a month ago.



The government has made it possible for adolescents over the age of 12 to receive the modified 2-valent vaccine from next week.



Teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18 who have received an existing vaccine or who have been infected for more than 3 months are eligible. Moderna products are under review for youth approval, so only Pfizer BA.1 and BA.4/5 can be fit.



[Han Deok-soo/Prime Minister : Recent studies in the US and UK have confirmed that the bivalent vaccine group has a maximum of 50% higher infection prevention effect than the existing vaccine group.



] It is most urgent to raise it, and the winter intensive vaccination period for people over the age of 60 and members of facilities vulnerable to infection has been extended until the end of this year.



(Video coverage: Park Young-il, video editing: Hwang Ji-young, CG: Lee Jong-jeong)