South Korea tightens social distancing to fight virus wave

Starting next week, private social gatherings of seven or more people will be banned in the densely populated capital Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas, which have been hit hardest by a delta-driven spread that threatens to overwhelm hospital capacities. Gatherings will be limited to eight people in areas outside the capital region, officials said Friday.

Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said the gathering restrictions will be maintained for at least four weeks as officials monitor how the virus situation develops. “On top of that, we have confirmed cases of the omicron coronavirus variant and there's concern that it will spread further in local communities,” he added, referring to the country's first six omicron cases found since Wednesday that have been linked to arrivals from Nigeria.

The virus surge has been a rude awakening for South Korea, which eased social distancing rules at the start of November and fully reopened schools on Nov. 22 in what officials had described as a first step toward restoring pre-pandemic normalcy.

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