Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Tuesday that the government will suspend operations of ski resorts and other winter sport facilities and shut down major tourist attractions during the upcoming holidays.

The prime minister unveiled the plan while presiding over a government meeting on COVID-19 responses. 

Chung said that the government will implement special quarantine measures to block the spread of the virus during the year-end holiday season. 

He said everyone but employees and residents will be banned from entering virus-prone nursing homes and mental institutions, while quarantine measures for restaurants will be significantly strengthened. 

The special measures will be enforced across the nation from Thursday to January 3 and local municipalities will not be allowed to adjust the measures themselves.