Korea Lifts Remaining Outdoor Mask Mandate

Korea will completely lift the outdoor mask mandate next week.

Prime Minster Han Duck-soo on Friday said masks are now optional for outdoor events even if more than 50 people gather "as the risk of outdoor transmission is relatively low."

But the indoor mask mandate will be maintained "for a while" for fear of a possible COVID-flu "twindemic" in winter, he added.

The outdoor mask mandate was partially lifted on May 2 but still required at rallies, performances and sports events when more than 50 people were gathered.

"After analyzing antibody positive rates of 10,000 people, the government found that around 97 percent of Koreans had antibodies through vaccination and natural infection of coronavirus," Han said.

On Friday morning, the daily tally of new coronavirus infections stood at 29,108, down about 4,000 from the previous day while deaths and severe cases remained relatively high at 68 and 399.