New COVID-19 cases above 7,400 for 3rd day ahead of restoring tougher virus curbs

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 7,400 for the third consecutive day Friday, with the country set to restore tight social distancing and other virus curbs to contain the fast spread of the virus.

The country added 7,435 more COVID-19 cases, including 7,400 local infections, bringing the cumulative total to 551,551, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

Friday's tally is down from the previous day's 7,622 and the record high of 7,850 reported Wednesday, but it is still a big jump from the daily counts that hovered in the 5,000-6,000 range earlier in the week.

The KDCA said three more omicron variant cases were reported, putting the total at 151.

The number of critically ill patients came to 971, down from the all-time high of 989 reported Thursday.

Deaths from the virus came to 73, the third-highest number since the pandemic, putting the total at 4,591. The fatality rate stood at 0.83 percent.

A set of revised virus restrictions will take effect nationwide starting Saturday through Jan. 2 to stem the spread of the virus.

It marks a reversal of the government's "living with COVID-19" scheme that began last month with an aim to regain normalcy by relaxing virus restrictions in phased steps. Some antivirus rules have already been strengthened since December.

Under the updated measures, the maximum size of private gatherings will be limited to four people nationwide, from the current limit of six in the capital area and eight elsewhere, and a 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. curfew will be applied to business establishments, depending on their type of service.

Fully vaccinated people will be allowed to use restaurants and cafes, and those who have not been vaccinated can only use the facilities alone or request takeout or delivery.

Schools in the greater Seoul area will resume remote learning and run at about two-thirds or 75 percent capacity from next Monday, except for elementary school first and second years.

The extent to which masks can be worn and whether there is eating inside determine the degree of restriction. Up to 300 people can gather for outdoor sports events and other festivals approved by government agencies.

Of the locally transmitted cases, Seoul reported 2,837 infections and Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital logged 2,147 cases.

Thirty-five cases came from overseas, raising the caseload to 16,236, the KDCA said.

As of Friday, 84.3 percent of the country's 52 million population had received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines, and 81.7 percent had been fully vaccinated. About 19 percent of the total population has gotten their booster shots, the KDCA said. (Yonhap)