Asia Today: South Korea to require masks on transit, flights

25/5/2020 18:58

        South Koreans will be required to wear masks when using public transportation and taxis nationwide starting Tuesday as health authorities look for more ways to slow the spread of the coronavirus as people increase their public activities.
        
        Health Ministry official Yoon Taeho during a virus briefing on Monday said masks also will be enforced on all domestic and international flights from Wednesday. From June, owners of “high-risk” facilities such as bars, clubs, gyms, karaoke rooms and concert halls will be required to use smartphone QR codes to register customers so they could be tracked down more easily when infections occur.
        
        South Korea was reporting 500 new cases per day in early March before it largely stabilized its outbreak with aggressive tracking and testing. But infections have been rising slightly again since early May, with more people going out during warmer weather and eased social distancing guidelines, causing concern in a country that has just started to reopen schools for children.