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Greater Seoul to be under toughest curbs for 2 more weeks

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Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol speaks at the government meeting on COVID-19 on July 23, where the government decided to extend the toughest virus restrictions in the greater Seoul area for another two weeks. Yonhap

South Korea will extend the toughest virus restrictions in the greater Seoul area for another two weeks amid the fourth wave of new COVID-19 outbreaks, health authorities said Friday.

Seoul, the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the western port city of Incheon have been placed under Level 4, the highest in the four-tier virus curbs, since July 12, and the measures will be extended for another two weeks Monday, according to the authorities.

Gatherings of more than two people will be banned after 6 p.m. Demonstrations will also be restricted, although the government will allow one-person protests.

Weddings and funerals can only be joined by relatives. Entertainment establishments, including night clubs, will be ordered to shut down, while restaurants only will be allowed to have dine-in customers until 10 p.m.

South Korea has been battling a new wave of the pandemic.

The country's daily new coronavirus cases hit a fresh high of over 1,800 on Thursday, with a mass infection aboard a naval unit. (Yonhap)