Medical workers wear masks at a public health center in Gwangju, Wednesday. After dropping its mask mandate in all places including hospitals in May, the government is now telling the public to wear masks again amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. Courtesy of Gwangju Buk-gu Office

After dropping its mask mandate in all settings including hospitals in May, the government is now urging the public to wear masks again amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) released its guidelines, Thursday, as part of its renewed efforts to contain the disease, saying mask-wearing in crowded indoor areas would help limit its transmission.

The agency added that wearing masks would be particularly advisable for people deemed to be more vulnerable to the risk of developing severe symptoms: older adults and those with underlying medical conditions.

"Employees at and visitors to medical and other high-risk facilities for infection are advised to wear masks, and workers showing symptoms of respiratory disease are advised to be suspended (temporarily) from duties," the KDCA said.

This comes as the number of COVID-19 patients is rising rapidly. Its data shows the number of people admitted to 220 designated hospitals across the country for the disease is projected to reach 1,357 in the second week of August from 226 in the third week of July — the highest figure since the government fully shifted to an endemic approach to the disease back in May.

Age appears to be a major factor in the infection and severity rates of COVID-19. More than 69 percent of them are aged 65 or older, followed by those aged between 50 and 64 (18.2 percent).

Officials anticipate the figure will likely continue to rise in the coming weeks as students and many workers return to their regular duties after the summer break, which typically spans from mid-July to late August.

In an effort to reduce the spread of the virus among students, the Ministry of Education will urge parents nationwide not to send their children to school if they exhibit COVID-19 symptoms.

The ministry also plans to implement education programs for students to learn more about infectious diseases and how to stay safe from infection.

Yet health authorities have called for a measured approach to dealing with the latest COVID-19 wave, saying strict pandemic rules such as universal masking and quarantines are not under consideration.

After a meeting held with other government departments and agencies on Wednesday, KDCA Commissioner Jee Young-mee said the fatality and severity rates of the new KP.3 variant, which is mainly responsible for the current spread, suggests that "there is no need for alarm."

"This (KP.3) is very different from the cases we saw during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic."

She added that the variant has a fatality rate of about 0.05 percent.

Jee noted that her agency will concentrate its resources on protecting those who are the most vulnerable, through medicines and vaccines.

KP.3 is an Omicron subvariant accounting for nearly 50 percent of new cases in the country, according to the latest data.

In an effort to contain the current and future spread of COVID-19, the agency said it will also conduct a mass vaccination program in October with vaccines known to be effective for KP.3 and other variants derived from JN.1.

Details of the vaccination program will be announced next month. Officials are now working to secure the newest COVID-19 medicines and vaccines for people in Korea.