Current distancing rules to be extended for 2 more weeks: PM

govt-social distancing

Current distancing rules to be extended for 2 more weeks: PM

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will extend current social distancing rules for two more weeks, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday, as the country struggles to contain the omicron variant.

The government has been enforcing enhanced social distancing rules since Jan. 17 that allows private gatherings of up to six people with a 9 p.m. curfew imposed on restaurants' and cafes' business hours.

The restrictions were originally supposed to end Sunday, but with the latest decision, they will be enforced through Feb. 20

South Korea's daily virus caseload has been renewing record highs, with the latest tally exceeding 20,000 as the omicron variant became the most dominant strain in the country.

To curb the rise of serious cases, the government also decided to lower the age of eligibility for COVID-19 treatment pills from 60 to 50 starting Monday.

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