South Korea will lift the outdoor mask mandate on May 2, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said on Friday, though people will still need to wear a mask when they attend gatherings of 50 or more people or use multi-use facilities.
"Experts believe it is possible to relax the mask-wearing regulation outside, where the risk of transmission is lower than indoors."
The CDC announced the new guidelines Tuesday for counties experiencing "substantial" or "high" transmission, as the Delta variant of COVID-19 surged across the country.
The new mask requirement came a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classified the nation's capital into the category of "substantial" Covid-19 transmission localities, up from the "medium" category.
The agency also called for universal masking for teachers, staff members and students in schools, regardless of their vaccination status
The new mandate comes a month after California fully reopened its economy on June 15 by lifting almost all restrictions.
The end of many pandemic restrictions next week — once touted in British newspapers as “freedom day” — comes as the U.K. faces soaring coronavirus cases and rising deaths
Spain has had strict rules regarding facemask use for just over a year, with everyone aged six and over being obliged to wear them (unless they are doing exercise), even at places where a two-metre safe social distance can be observed.
