S.Korea to lift most COVID curbs from next week as Omicron wanes

Ladies carrying masks stroll in a buying district amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Seoul, South Korea, March 16, 2022. REUTERS/Heo Ran/File Photograph

SEOUL, April 15 (Reuters) – South Korea stated on Friday it would drop most COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions subsequent week, together with a midnight curfew on eateries, because the Omicron surge in instances exhibits indicators of waning, though folks will nonetheless must put on masks.

From April 18, the midnight curfew on eating places and different companies will likely be scrapped, together with the cap on non-public gatherings which was set at 10, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum instructed a coronavirus response assembly.

“Carrying masks remains to be an important means to guard ourselves,” Kim stated. “It’s inevitable to keep up the indoor masks mandate for a substantial time frame.”

On carrying masks open air, Kim stated the federal government will overview whether or not to carry the prevailing restriction in two weeks, relying on the virus state of affairs.

The variety of coronavirus instances within the nation seems to have handed its peak after hovering over 620,000 a day in mid-March, with the day by day infections falling to under 150,000 on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the federal government introduced its plan to develop the rollout of second COVID-19 booster shot for folks over 60. learn extra

Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi and Joori Roh; Modifying by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Kenneth Maxwell

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