The presidential transition team has warned against lifting the mask mandate too quickly, expressing concern after the interior minister announced that the state is considering easing the outdoor requirement within the next month.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, transition team spokesperson Shin Yong-hyun said it is not wise to lift all preventative measures as if COVID-19 was no longer in existence and called for protecting those considered high-risk while continuing to make a transition to normalcy.

She emphasized that wearing masks has been the basic rule and the ultimate defense against all infectious diseases, citing a largely positive response from the public regarding the continuance of the mask mandate.

She also explained that protection measures were needed for vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals, and the incoming administration will fully review the situation and lift quarantine measures when deemed appropriate.