South Korea is extending its rules on social distance by two weeks until January 31, the country’s health ministry said in a news release on Saturday.
A ban on the gathering of five or more people will also apply until the end of January, the ministry added.
The Metropolitan Area of Seoul has been at social level 2.5, the second highest level, since the beginning of December, while the rest of the country has been at level 2, the third highest level.
According to existing rules, the dining room at restaurants in Seoul and surrounding areas is banned after 21:00. Spectators are also banned from sporting events.
These social distance measures would expire on Sunday. But while the number of new daily cases is declining, the Ministry of Health said the danger of a revival still exists.
Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said the government would review the levels of social distancing once the cases dropped to 400 daily.
South Korea’s affairs: The country reported 547 local and 33 imported infections on Friday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said in a news release on Saturday. That puts South Korea’s total reported caseload at 71,820.
Another 19 patients died, bringing the total number of deaths to 1,236.
The Ministry of Health has designated the first half of February as a special quarantine period in anticipation of increasing traffic during the Lunar New Year festival next month.
Inter-city trains may only fill 50% of the seats, while visits to nursing homes are prohibited.