Coronavirus: South Korea to remove most curbs as Omicron wanes
- From next week, limits on private gatherings will be scrapped and there will be no social distancing rules except for wearing masks
- The decision came amid a slowing spread of virus infections and drop of people in critical condition
Starting Monday, there will be no social distancing rules except for wearing masks, culminating the country’s drive to “return lives to normal” with a strategy that has stood out for preventing an economic downturn while keeping the death rate relatively low.
“As our quarantine situation and medical system’s capability have been stabilised, we will boldly lift social distancing measures,” Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said in virus response meeting on Friday.
The decision came after South Korea eased some travel requirements, including exempting mandatory quarantine for fully vaccinated inbound visitors. But the country has been reluctant to completely reopen its borders as immigration officials are still mulling whether to reinstate visa-free travel with the emergence of the Omicron sub-variant in other countries.
The measured, step-by-step approach to the pandemic has drawn global attention. The country pioneered the use of quick testing and hi-tech contact tracing early on, using lessons learned from previous epidemics.
South Korea also focused on inoculating those in high-risk groups first. It now has the highest booster shot take-ups in the world, with 89.2 per cent of the population 18 and above having had their third shot. This week, the government began supplying second boosters for the elderly.