Koreans tired of the pandemic. There are fights in the buses

Koreans are fed up with face masks. It’s getting warmer and the obligation to cover your mouth and nose in places like buses is becoming more and more burdensome. For this reason, some South Koreans give up face masks. This leads to conflicts and fights.

1. The South Korean government has prevented the pandemic from developing in their country. The obligation to cover the mouth and nose to reduce the transmission of the coronavirus may have contributed to the success in the fight against COVID-19
2. Due to the threat of a second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic, the government continues to require its citizens to wear masks in certain situations
3. The heat in South Korea made wearing masks a pain. Refusing to wear them has become the cause of fights, among others in buses

How did South Korea deal with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus?

In South Korea, as in Japan and other East Asian countries, widespread wearing of mouth and nose guards may have contributed to the relative success of containing the COVID-19 pandemic. South Korea has worked intensively since the beginning of the pandemic to contain the transmission of the virus. The country’s highest incidence was in February, before the coronavirus spread to Europe and North America.

So far, 12 people in South Korea have been infected with the coronavirus and 850 have died. The number of active cases in this country is approximately 282. In April and May, approximately 980 new cases of infection were recorded daily. In June, new infections still appear in and around Seoul.

See also: South Korea: Over 100 Coronavirus Infections After Zumba Classes. Research shows what factors promote virus transmission

In order to avoid the second phase, the South Korean government required its citizens to wear mouth and nose protectors on all buses, subways, taxis and other public transport. Drivers could deny passengers without a face shield access to the vehicle.

While wearing the mask in spring or winter, when the temperatures were not too high, was not associated with major inconveniences, in June, during hot summer, it became very uncomfortable. So the Koreans started to rebel.

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The masks were supposed to protect, and they cause fights

In June, the temperature in South Korea regularly exceeded 30 ° C, which made wearing the masks cumbersome and some of the country’s inhabitants began to refuse to wear masks at all or to wear them incorrectly (on the chin, with the nose exposed). This way of wearing masks has caused dozens of fights between bus drivers and South Koreanswho use public transport, who travel to work every day.

Police reported 840 fights in South Korea in June, most between bus drivers and passengers who refused to wear masks, according to news agency Yonhap.

All 43 perpetrators for whom fights ended up in court are men, and the majority of them are between 50 and 60 years old. One woman was also briefly detained, who argued with subway passengers when they demanded that she wear a mask. Police also intervened in the case of a man who assaulted a bus driver and another passenger after they urged him to cover his mouth and nose.

Perhaps solutions developed in Japan will soon appear in South Korea. For fear of hot weather, local companies create masks made of technologically advanced materials that increase the comfort of wearing the mask in hot weather.

The sports clothing manufacturer Mizuno sells, for example, masks made of fabrics used in the production of swimwear or athletics suits. Another company – Yonex – has quick-drying masks in its product range.

In Poland, we are also struggling with a heat wave in recent days. Despite lifting restrictions, wearing face and nose guards is still compulsory in certain cases. In which? See our cheat sheet: With or without a mask? We explain when it is still mandatory

Experts warn that wearing masks in high temperatures can cause breathing problems, increased heart rate and dehydration. Japanese experts advise people to remove their masks as needed and water them regularly.

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Have you witnessed an unpleasant situation related to the obligation to wear masks? Have you been involved in a conflict over this background? Write to us at [email protected] and tell your story.