govt-social distancing
Current distancing rules to be extended for 2 more weeks: PM
SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will extend toughened social distancing rules for two more weeks through mid-January, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday, amid efforts to bring down the number of serious coronavirus cases and contain the omicron variant.
"It is too early to think that we have overcome the crisis," Kim said during a COVID-19 response meeting in Seoul. "We still have a lot of critically ill virus patients and deaths."
The government has been enforcing stricter social distancing rules since Dec. 18 following a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Currently, private gatherings are capped at four people nationwide, while 9 or 10 p.m. curfews are imposed on multiuse facilities' business hours.
The restrictions were originally supposed to end Sunday, but with the latest decision, they will be enforced through Jan. 16.
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