South Korea tightened its coronavirus restrictions in the greater Seoul metropolitan area on Friday in an effort to curb a resurgence of the epidemic.
Starting from August 30, franchise cafes will be able to provide takeout service only, while restaurants and bakeries must stop eat-in service in between 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said in a briefing on Friday.
Gyms and indoor sporting facilities will be shuttered, according to Park. The measure will be effective from August 30 until September 6.
Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the second-highest level of social distancing measures will be maintained in greater Seoul for one more week.
Under these measures, now due to expire September 6, indoor gatherings are limited to 50 and outdoor gatherings to 100.
The latest outbreak in the country has been linked to churches in Seoul and the neighboring provinces. Members of religious groups have been criticized for withholding key information and obstructing public health authorities in their fight against the pandemic.
Chung said enacting the highest social distancing level 3 measures would be a last resort for the country, considering the strong impact that would have on society.
Latest numbers: South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 371 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, 359 of which were locally transmitted.
Among the new cases, 145 are from Seoul, 112 from its surrounding Gyeonggi province and 27 from nearby Incheon City.
South Korea has recorded a total of 19,077 Covid-19 cases, including 316 deaths, according to the KCDC.
This post has been updated to reflect that the new measures apply to the greater Seoul metropolitan area.
