Face masks mandatory on South Korea's public transport

The Korean government has decided to require all passengers on buses, taxis, subways and flights to wear masks, in order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

The face-covering mandate, issued by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, comes as more drivers and passengers are disregarding mask-wearing recommendations amid rising temperatures.

Under the new measure which goes into effect for buses and taxis on Tuesday, operators and drivers can temporarily refuse to carry passengers whose faces are not covered. This means they will be exempted in such cases from being punished for refusing passengers, which otherwise could face suspension of business or financial penalty.

Taxi and bus drivers also must wear masks at all times while carrying passengers. City and provincial governors will order corrective action to those who don’t comply with the new policy.

“We plan to implement the mask-wearing requirement for transportation sector with all municipal governments together, starting from tomorrow,” a senior official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said during a briefing session Monday.

Administrative orders on mask-wearing were already in place in Seoul, Incheon and Daegu.

Railway and subway staff in stations will limit the ride of passengers without masks at ticket barriers and gates.



Dhaka/Mukul