ⓒYONHAP News

President Moon Jae-in on Monday announced that the next phase in the transition to living with COVID-19 has been put on hold as special quarantine measures are implemented over the next four weeks.

Chairing a virus response meeting, Moon noted that new infections, critical cases and deaths are all on the rise, putting a strain on hospital bed capacity.

The government was initially set to assess the first-phase transition carried out in the previous four weeks on Monday and consider whether to further ease virus prevention rules.

Moon said moving on to the second phase of transition will be postponed as the virus' resurgence is more serious than expected.

But the president said the transition to return to normal life can't be reversed, making it clear that restrictions on business hours and personal gatherings won't be tightened.

A number of new measures were introduced on Monday.

Health authorities will set a six-month valid period on COVID-19 entry passes, considering the waning effect of vaccines over time.

Under a new rule set to take effect from December 20, adults will need to get boosters after a five-month interval in order to keep their entry passes valid.

The entry pass system currently requires people to show proof of vaccination or a negative test result before entering "high-risk" establishments such as bars and gyms.

As hospitals in the capital area are very near — if not at — full capacity, new COVID-19 patients will start with at-home treatment as a rule.  

Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol announced the change in a briefing that followed the Monday meeting. He said, under the new guidance, only people who are not able to be treated at home, such as those living with others vulnerable to infections, will be hospitalized.

Short-term outpatient treatment centers will open where at-home patients can receive necessary care, including those who experience a change in symptoms.

The government will also secure more hospital beds through administrative orders and make maximum use of existing ones.

Rules were further tightened later in the week as the omicron virus began to spread globally.

The government imposed a mandatory ten-day quarantine on all international arrivals including South Korean nationals for the next two weeks.

Health authorities made the decision on Wednesday in a meeting of related ministries after the country's first cases of the omicron coronavirus variant were confirmed. 

Under the measure, all international arrivals will be placed under a ten-day quarantine, regardless of their nationalities and vaccination status. The quarantine order has initially been put in place until December 16.

Health authorities announced measures on Friday restricting private gatherings in the capital region including Incheon and Gyeonggi Province to six people and imposing an eight-person limit elsewhere, for four weeks starting Monday regardless of vaccination. Current protocols allow up to ten and 12, respectively.

Exemptions will continue to apply in caring for children and seniors.

Entry passes for those fully vaccinated will be required at restaurants and coffee shops, with an exemption for one person out of the permitted group of the maximum six or eight. The government will allow a one-week grace period to minimize public confusion.

Passes will be mandatory at learning institutes, internet cafes and movie theaters, while minors aged 12 to 18 will also be required to carry them starting in February.