South Korea will drop its mask mandate for most indoor venues, as one of the last Asian countries to require coverings pivots to living with COVID-19.
The mandate will end on Jan. 30, though the country still recommends people wear masks indoors, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said in a statement. A number of places will still require masks including care homes and hospitals, as well as public transport, it said. Korea’s mask mandate had been in place since November 2020.
Authorities have determined the current COVID-19 wave has peaked, based on the country’s death rate and the number of critical patients. Nearly 98.6% of South Koreans are estimated to have virus antibodies, the agency said, and measures targeting visitors from China mean there will be limited impact from that nation’s current surge in infections.
The country previously ended its outdoor mask mandate in September 2022, though had remained wary about indoor activities due to a virus resurgence during winter. The number of daily COVID-19 cases has dropped below 30,000 from more than 150,000 in August, with the death rate per 100,000 people at around 0.1.
More countries are rolling back pandemic policies as the world shifts to treating COVID-19 as endemic. Asia has remained a notable holdout for mask policies, though expectations are building that Japan will soon ease its guidance. Hong Kong still requires masks both indoors and outdoors, and officials have said the rule is set to stay in place through winter.