On Monday, Feb 15, South Korea eased some of its strictest social distancing rules for businesses but kept limits on private gatherings to unveil plans for the first coronavirus vaccines later this month. This step comes after a subdued Lunar New Year holiday last week.
The daily coronavirus infections recorded was above 400 before the break, but have dropped to 344 new infections as of midnight on Sunday.
While infection clusters continue to plague the densely populated capital of Seoul and neighbouring areas, the country is planning to start its vaccination programme from Feb 26. Nearly 80 per cent of the new cases reported over the holiday were in the Seoul area. But some restrictions have been eased in the greater Seoul area, effective on Monday. Healthcare workers and older residents will be among the first to be vaccinated.
Outside of the greater Seoul area, there are now no curfews on businesses, while attendance limits have been eased for churches and sports events. Private gatherings of more than four people are still banned across the country. The country had reported a total of 83,869 COVID-19 infections as of Sunday, with 1,527 deaths.
As of now, a 9 pm curfew for restaurants and cafes has been pushed to 10 pm, while bars and nightclubs have been allowed to reopen, but with a 10 pm curfew and a limited number of patrons. Curfews have been removed for cinemas, internet cafes, cram schools, theme parks, supermarkets, and hair salons.
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