Distancing measures to continue as-is for another 2 weeks

People line up to get a rapid antigen test at a health center in Daejeon Friday as the country saw a record 27,443 new cases. [KIM SEONG-TAE]

Health authorities decided to extend the current social distancing scheme limiting gatherings and applying curfews for most businesses for another two weeks as Korea broke a new record and surpassed 27,000 new Covid-19 cases Friday.

The government decided to extend the current social distancing measures, which ban private gatherings of more than six people and restricts operating hours of restaurants and cafes to 9 p.m., for two more weeks. Other businesses and multi-purpose facilities considered to be at less risk, such as movie theaters, concert halls, internet cafes and hagwon (cram schools), will retain their 10 p.m. curfew.

The stricter social distancing restrictions were implemented on Jan. 17 and with the latest extension will run through Feb. 20.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said in a Covid-19 response meeting, “In a situation where it is difficult to estimate the effect of the Lunar New Year holiday, and we are breaking [daily case] records day by day, we decided that it is a priority to slow down the spread of Omicron.”

In turn, the government is also reviewing a return to normalcy if critical cases and death rates can be stably controlled and eventually managing Covid-19 like the seasonal flu.

Lee Ki-il, a senior health official with the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, said in a press briefing, “Even if the number of confirmed cases increases, if the critical cases and fatality rates remain stable and the medical system has the capacity, we decided to lift social distancing regulations in a phased manner and try to restore daily life.” He said health authorities are reviewing switching to a management similar to that for the seasonal flu.

Korea reported 27,443 new Covid-19 cases, including 27,283 local transmissions, raising the country's total cases to 934,656, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The number of critically ill patients was 257, down 17 from the previous day. This is down from six weeks ago when Delta was the dominant variant and critical cases surged over 1,000, putting strain on the country’s medical system.

The country added 24 fatalities, bring the total death toll to 6,836.

There were 7,721 more patients getting at-home treatment, bringing the total to 104,857 as of Friday. The country currently has the capacity to monitor up to 106,000 patients being treated at home for milder cases.

The government also decided to lower the age of eligibility for Covid-19 antiviral pills from 60 to 50 starting Monday, to expand at-home treatment.

Since Thursday, the government switched to an Omicron-tailored system that reserves free polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for people over 60 or in high-risk groups, and offers rapid antigen tests to all others.

Neighborhood clinics and hospitals across the nation are offering Covid-19 testing and treatment to streamline the process in preparation for the surge of Omicron patients. So far, some 600 clinics and hospitals are taking part in the new testing regime.

As of Friday, 2,300 clinics and hospitals have applied to take part in this new system.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]