South Korea moves to end all COVID-19 restrictions

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - South Korea on Thursday announced an end to almost all restrictions imposed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am pleased that our people will reclaim their everyday lives after three years and four months,” President Yoon Suk Yeol said, declaring an end to the pandemic restrictions.

He was addressing a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at the presidential office, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

According to the World-meters website, South Korea has reported 31.4 million coronavirus cases including 34,583 deaths since COVID-19 was first reported in December 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

According to new measures which will take effect from June 1, the seven-day mandatory isolation period for COVID-19 patients will be reduced to five days, Yoon said.

“The indoor mask mandate will be lifted everywhere except for hospitals with rooms for hospitalization, and the PCR test-upon-arrival recommendation will be removed,” the report said.