Presidential transition team chairman Ahn Cheol-soo says it may be too early and unsafe to lift the rule on wearing masks outdoors.

Ahn, who also chairs the team's special committee on COVID-19 emergency response, shared the view during a visit to a high school in Seoul on Wednesday. 

Regarding the team’s consideration of partially scrapping the mask rule, he recognized there is relatively low risk of becoming infected with the virus outdoors.
 
But he said that people, without the masks, may mistakenly believe they have returned to normal life, which is concerned to cause a further spread of COVID-19. 
 
Ahn pointed to the fact that South Korea still reports 100-thousand to 200-thousand COVID-19 cases every day, adding that health authorities need to take measured steps in adjusting mask-wearing restrictions.