Placeholder canvas

South Korea launches ‘No Mask, No Ride’ policy for buses, taxis

Date:

Seoul: The South Korean government on Tuesday launched a ‘no mask, no ride’ policy on buses and taxis as a persistent rise in coronavirus infections in Seoul and the other surrounding area prompted people to put on face masks.

The government, in a new directive, ordered buses and taxi drivers to limit or refuse to offer rides to passengers who do not wear masks as part of the tightened quarantine measures against the pandemic outbreak, Yonhap news agency reported. Most passengers appeared to be following the new guideline in Seoul on the first day of the policy.
In buses that run in central Seoul and nearby residential areas, all passengers were seen wearing masks — although the types of masks varied from the government-supplied hygiene masks to colorful cotton masks, the local media reported further.

ALSO READ: WHO warns of ‘second peak’ in areas where COVID-19 declining

While some passengers at bus stops were seen with their masks lowered for easier breathing, they all put on their masks properly ahead of boarding.

“I didn’t have to tell a single passenger to put on their masks,” a bus driver told Yonhap.

“Most people have already been wearing masks on buses recently,” he added.

Situations were also similar in taxis.

People who were getting in and out of cabs were all wearing masks.

“I’ve been making sure to wear a face mask when I’m in a cab since I don’t want to worry the driver,” said a 34-year-old office worker surnamed Jung who commutes by taxi every day.

“At the same time, all the taxi drivers I’ve met in the past two to three months were all wearing face masks,” Jung said.

The tightened measures come amid a rise in transmissions linked to nightspots in the central Seoul neighborhood of Itaewon.

More than 200 cases have been reported in relation to the cluster, with its patients including a taxi driver in Incheon, west of Seoul.

As of Sunday, nine bus drivers and 12 taxi drivers had been infected by the coronavirus.
South Korea reported 19 new cases Tuesday, bringing the country’s total COVID-19 infection caseload to 11,225.

Click here for Latest News updates and viral videos on our AI-powered smart news

For viral videos and Latest trends subscribe to NewsMobile YouTube Channel and Follow us on Instagram

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Share post:

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related

Biden Administration Approves $60Million Aid For Baltimore Bridge Collapse

The Federal Administration in a statement on Thursday said that it has provided the quick-release funds to rebuild the collapsed bridge within hours of receiving a request from Maryland Department Of Transportation

Fact Check: Lok Sabha Polls Will Be Held Using EVMs; Don’t Fall For False Claim

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, a newspaper cutout...

Four Killed, Five Wounded In Stabbing Incident In North Illinois

Redd mentioned that not all of the victims had stab wounds and none of them were shot. She added by saying that they have a suspect in custody

Hope Everyone’s Rights Are Protected: UN On Kejriwal’s Arrest

Delhi CM Kejriwal was arrested by the ED(Enforcement Directorate) on March 21 in the Delhi liquor policy case, days ahead of the Lok Sabha polls