ⓒKBS News

Authorities have further tightened caps on private gatherings in the capital region and other areas under the toughest Level Four social distancing measures after the Chuseok holiday.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said that private gatherings of up to eight people were temporarily allowed across the nation for the week around Chuseok, but the eased cap will no longer apply from Friday.

Under the move, private gatherings of up to six people, including two fully vaccinated people, will be allowed before 6 p.m. in areas under Level Four. After 6 p.m., these gatherings will be allowed if they include four fully vaccinated people.

Such gatherings will only be allowed at homes, restaurants and cafes.

In areas under Level Three, private gatherings of up to eight people will be allowed at home and at all multi-use spaces, provided the group includes four fully vaccinated people.

But the government announced Thursday that fully vaccinated people will not have to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine after coming into close contact with a COVID-19 patient if they have no symptoms, even if the patient has a variant strain.

The Korea Disease Prevention and Control Agency(KDCA) announced the guidelines, saying they adjusted the rules, taking into account the pace of vaccinations and the spread of variants.

It also took into consideration recent studies that showed the high efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines against key variants.

The government had initially excluded vaccinated people who came in contact with a COVID patient from the quarantine exemption if they had come into contact with patients infected with variants such as the highly transmissible delta strain.