College Of Engineering Seoul National University

Notice

The updated mask mate rules (March 20 ~ )

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CoEIO
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2023.04.03
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Background

(Status) Following the indoor mask mandate adjustment plan (Dec. 23, 2022), the mandate was converted to “recommended” (Jan. 30, 2023) except in certain facilities^*

* Mask mandate facilities: medical institutions (i.e. admission-type facilities at high risk of infection), pharmacies, and public transportation

(Background) Planned to be converted to “recommended” for all areas according to the adjustment of grade of infection/risk; however, some mask mandate facilities were put into early review according to the prolonged stability of disease control and prevention

* Newly confirmed cases: (Feb. week 1) 112,000 → (Feb. week 3) 81,000 → (Mar. week 1) 65,000 → (Mar. week 2) 7,000
* Daily average of hospitalized patients (severe and critical): (Feb. week 1) 368 → (Feb. week 3) 236 → (Mar. week 1) 150 → (Mar. week 2) 146

Analysis

(Indicators) Indicators including the average number of newly confirmed cases and new serious and critical cases have all shown drastic decrease^* even after the first phase mask mandate adjustment (Jan. 30), contributing to stabilized disease control and prevention

* Since the first phase mask mandate adjustment on Jan. 30, the daily average of newly confirmed cases decreased by 37.5% and new serious and critical cases decreased by 54.6%

* Newly confirmed cases: (Feb. week 1) 112,000 → (Feb. week 3) 81,000 → (Mar. week 1) 65,000 → (Mar. week 2) 7,000
* Daily average of confirmed cases: (Feb. week 1) 16,103 → (Mar. week 2) 10,058
* Number of new critical cases: (Feb. week 1) 260 → (Mar. week 2) 118

Key occurrence indicators in the past 4 weeks


	Feb. week 3 (Feb. 12–Feb. 18)	Feb. week 4 (Feb. 19–Feb. 25)	Mar. week 1 (Feb. 26–Mar. 4)	Mar. week 2 (Mar. 5–Mar. 11)
Daily average of confirmed cases (persons)	11,597	10,067	9,361	10,058
New critical cases (persons)	161	137	102	118
Deaths (persons)	131	96	80	76
Effective reproduction number (Rt)	0.90	0.90	0.93	1.03

(Reason of Change) No variants found to cause sharp increase in short-term outbreaks, and continued decrease of outbreaks in major countries^*

* China: continued decrease of new cases and deaths of patients reported after the peak of the end of December to early January; PCR tests on passengers from China to Korea maintained until Feb. 28

(Survey of Opinions) Citizens’ high willingness to wear masks^* even after the mask mandate adjustment

* (Gallup Korea, surveyed Jan. 31–Feb. 2) Maintain wearing masks indoors: 71%
(Hankook Research, surveyed Feb. 10–Feb. 13) Maintain wearing masks despite changes in regulations: 75% / Maintain wearing masks indoors even when not in hospital or public transportation: 86%
(Seoul National University, surveyed Feb. 7–Feb. 10) Maintain the current trend of indoor mask-wearing for 3–4+ months: 67.9%

Additional Adjustment Plans

➊ Public transportation: lifting of mask mandate and highly recommended to wear masks during rush hour

(Grounds of Adjustment) Occurrences have been decreasing even after the first phase mask mandate adjustment; considering the high level of citizens’ willingness to wear masks indoors despite the lifting of the mask mandate, the city shall respect the autonomous decision of passengers to an increased extent
The fact that risk levels are lower than those of facilities with maintained mask mandate, which are often used by high-risk groups, and the increase of countries that have lifted the mask mandate for public transportation, including Germany and Singapore, have been taken into account^*

* Mask mandate lifted for public transportation in Germany (Feb. 2) and Spain (Feb. 8); lifted across the board in Singapore (Feb. 13); and maintained in some Asian countries (e.g. Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia)

➋ Pharmacies: Mask mandate lifted for open-type pharmacies inside large facilities without walls and partitions,^* such as supermarkets and stations

* However, masks recommended for pharmacy staff

(Grounds of Adjustment) Considering that such pharmacies focus on selling general OTC drugs rather than prescribing/preparing drugs; air flow indoors is maintained as they do not have walls or partitions; and it is difficult to clearly differentiate the space of the pharmacy from other areas

* Mask mandate is maintained for normal pharmacies considering the possibility of use by high-risk groups and those with suspected symptoms

Schedule & Follow-up

Schedule

Discussion and announcement (briefing) of results by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on Wed, Mar. 15 and implementation on Mon, Mar. 20

Follow-up and Cooperation

(Central Disease Control Headquarters) Disease Prevention Mask Guidelines, Q&A, and revision of detailed provisions of Daily COVID-19 Protocols
(Ministry of Health and Welfare & local governments) Guidance and inspection of facilities with maintained mandatory measure^* for indoors
* Medical institutions (i.e. admission-type facilities at high risk of infection) and pharmacies (excluding open-type pharmacies in large facilities)
(Local Governments) Re-issue of administrative orders, and promotion of habituating mask-wearing

Indoor Mask Mandate Adjustments (as of Mar. 20, 2023)

Indoor mask mandate facilities (excluding public transportation)

Admission-type facilities at high risk of infection

* (Excluded places) Areas not requiring the entrance and exit of residents, such as office areas and dormitories (however, only applicable if areas are divided through means such as different buildings or floors)

1. Convalescent Hospitals (incl. long-term)

Convalescent hospitals pursuant to Article 3 of the Medical Service Act
Facilities that provide admission-type services pursuant to Article 2 of the Long-term Care Insurance Act: senior citizen care facilities, households living together with senior citizens under long-term care, day and night protection institutes, short-term protection institutes

2. Mental Health Improvement Facilities

Mental medical institutes with closed wards pursuant to Article 3 of the Act on the Improvement of Mental Health and the Support for Welfare Services for Mental Patients (“Act on the Improvement of Mental Health)
* (Excluded facilities) General hospitals and high-level general hospitals with closed wards (percentage of sickbeds for patients with mental illnesses below 50% of total permitted sickbeds), and national mental hospitals
Mental long-term care facilities pursuant to Article 3 of the Act on the Improvement of Mental Health
Admission-type facilities for more than 10 maximum patients among mental rehabilitation facilities pursuant to Article 3 of the Act on the Improvement of Mental Health: living facilities for more than 10 maximum patients, converted facilities for local communities, addict rehabilitation facilities, overall facilities (admission facilities)
* (Excluded facilities) Common living households with a patient capacity of 10 or below and non-admission facilities (daytime rehabilitation facilities, mental health support facilities for children and adolescence, product sales facilities, overall facilities (non-admission facilities)

3. Welfare Facilities for Persons with Disabilities

Admission-type facilities pursuant to Article 58 of the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities: residence areas for the disabled, shelters the disabled, and shelters for victim children who are disabled
* (Excluded facilities) Local community rehabilitation facilities, occupational rehabilitation facilities, medical rehabilitation facilities, product sales facilities

Medical institutes pursuant to Article 3 of the Medical Service Act

* (Excluded facilities) Areas not requiring the entrance and exit of medical and health service (diagnosis, examinations, treatment, receipt, etc.) users, including office areas and dormitories (however, only applicable if areas are divided through means such as different buildings or floors)

Community health institutions (including health and medical clinics) pursuant to Article 31 of the Regional Public Health Act, health subcenters, and primary health care posts pursuant to Article 2 of the Act on Special Measures for Health and Medical Services in Agricultural and Fishing Villages

Pharmacies pursuant to Article 2 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act

Situations exempt from imposition of penalty charges (addition of matters related to open-type pharmacies in large facilities)

When using open-type pharmacies inside large facilities (e.g. supermarkets, department stores, stations) without walls or partitions

Data from : https://english.seoul.go.kr/