수도권 2.5단계 17일까지 2주 연장…5인이상 모임금지 전국 확대<br /><br />South Korea reported 8-hundred-24 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday.<br />Despite dropping below the one-thousand mark from yesterday,... South Korea will extend strict distancing measures for another two weeks.<br />It will also tighten quarantine measures at borders to contain the highly infectious mutated variants of the coronavirus.<br />Lee Kyung-eun has the latest.<br />South Korea on Saturday decided to extend the Level 2-point-5 distancing measures in the capital region for another two weeks,... until January 17th.<br />The rest of the country remains at Level 2.<br />This means, in the greater Seoul area, cafes can only do delivery and take-out, and people can dine in at restaurants only before 9 PM.<br />Outside the capital, under level two, bars will remain closed, but facilities like singing rooms can operate until 9 PM.<br />The government decided not to implement the highest Level 3,... citing a slight decline in cases.<br />Instead, while staying in the current scheme,... it will expand Seoul city's restrictions on personal gatherings nationwide.<br />"Across the nation, all gatherings of five or more people will be banned, including in restaurants. That doesn't mean 4 is any safer. Please cancel all gatherings in the next two weeks."<br />Some restrictions have been partially lifted.<br />Private academies can resume operations,.. only for classes with under 9 students.<br />And ski resorts can also reopen,... while limiting the capacity to one-third and closing down the slopes after 9 PM.<br />In the meantime, South Korea will be ramping up quarantine measures at its borders,... as reports of mutated variant cases continue to come in.<br />On Saturday, testers detected four additional cases of the UK-linked variant, bringing the tally to 9.<br />The country also saw its first case of the South Africa-linked strain.<br />The government has already imposed a flight ban and restricted issuing visas,... but stricter quarantine measures will be enforced at airports and seaports.<br />"All foreign entrants must submit a certificate of a PCR negative test taken within 72 hours before entering the country. It will take effect at airports and seaports, starting the 8th and 15th, respectively."<br />The government says these measures aim to bring the third wave under control before vaccines are rolled out in February.<br />Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.<br /><br />
