Travelers leave the arrival hall of Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, Dec. 2, 2021. South Korea decided Friday to tighten anti-virus measures from next week amid a surging number of COVID-19 cases and emerging worries about the potentially more transmissible Omicron variant. (NEWSIS/Handout via Xinhua)
SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- South Korea decided Friday to tighten anti-virus measures from next week amid a surging number of COVID-19 cases and emerging worries about the potentially more transmissible Omicron variant.
The maximum number of private gatherings allowed in the Seoul metropolitan area, consisting of the capital Seoul, its surrounding Gyeonggi province and the western port city of Incheon, will be lowered to six from the current 10 for four weeks from Dec. 6.
In non-metropolitan areas, the ceiling on private gatherings will be cut to eight from the current 12 for four weeks, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The tougher rule came as new COVID-19 cases soared in the past month following the government's launch of the eased social-distancing campaign called "living with COVID-19" in November.
In the latest tally, the country reported 4,944 more cases of COVID-19 for the past 24 hours, lifting the total number of infections to 462,555.
The daily caseload was down from the record high of 5,266 the previous day, but the daily number stayed above 5,000 for the past two days.
Concerns heightened over the potentially more contagious Omicron variant as the country confirmed its first cases of the variant infection, including four imported cases and two local transmissions earlier this week.
To help block the virus from spreading among unvaccinated people, the vaccination verification program will be applied to more multi-use facilities.
Sixteen facilities, obligatorily required to check whether clients are vaccinated, will include cafes, restaurants, private cram schools, movie theaters, concert halls, internet cafes as well as the already applied facilities such as nightclubs, karaoke, public bathhouses, indoor gyms and casinos.
Excluded from the compulsory application of the vaccine pass program will be 14 facilities, including wedding halls, funeral homes, religious facilities, amusement parks, stores and shops, outdoor sports facilities, and accommodations.
The tougher verification program will be launched on Dec. 6, but a one-week grace period will be allowed.
From February, the vaccine pass program will also be implemented among minors aged 12-18 in a bid to encourage more teenagers to be inoculated.
The health authorities called on the elderly people to receive the third dose of COVID-19 vaccines, encouraging the teenagers to get vaccines amid the higher number of infections in those age groups.
Among the total infected people, the percentage of those aged 60 or higher soared from 21.6 percent in the third week of October to 34.9 percent in the fourth week of November due to the weakened vaccine efficacy.
The number of infected minors aged 18 or lower per 100,000 people came in at 99.7 for the past four weeks, higher than 76.9 for adults aged 19 or higher.
In the latest tally, over 80 percent of the country's total population have been fully vaccinated. The full inoculation rate for those aged 18 or higher was 91.6 percent.
The shortage of hospital beds deepened amid the fast growth in severe cases. The number of infected people who were in a serious condition hit a new high of 736 as of midnight Thursday.
In the fourth week of November, 83.4 percent of hospital beds for critically ill patients were occupied in the capital region, far higher than 55.4 percent from a month earlier. Enditem
Travelers take bus for quarantine site after arriving at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, Dec. 2, 2021. South Korea decided Friday to tighten anti-virus measures from next week amid a surging number of COVID-19 cases and emerging worries about the potentially more transmissible Omicron variant. (NEWSIS/Handout via Xinhua)
A traveler enters the COVID-19 testing center at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, Dec. 2, 2021. South Korea decided Friday to tighten anti-virus measures from next week amid a surging number of COVID-19 cases and emerging worries about the potentially more transmissible Omicron variant. (NEWSIS/Handout via Xinhua)
