South Korea Extends Enhanced COVID Measures By 2 More Weeks

The regime of enhanced coronavirus restrictions will be effective in South Korea for two more weeks to ward off an Omicron strain outbreak, according to the Health Ministry

SEOUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st December, 2021) The regime of enhanced coronavirus restrictions will be effective in South Korea for two more weeks to ward off an Omicron strain outbreak, according to the Health Ministry.

The regime was originally set to expire on January 3, but has been extended until January 16.

"It was decided to extend the enhanced measures of social distancing for two weeks," the ministry said.

South Korea toughened anti-virus restrictions last month in a bid to prevent the Omicron variant from entering the country, including through the suspension of visa issuance to South African nations where the new strain was first detected.

Besides, the restrictive measures include limits on the number of people at gatherings, capacity and operations of public facilities, including cafes, bars, cinemas, and museums, and a curfew on some local businesses, among others.

In the meantime, 90.7% of the country's population aged 12 and over has been vaccinated against COVID-19, and 40% of those aged over 18 have been administered booster doses.