ⓒYONHAP News

Effective on Thursday, the government adopted a new COVID-19 testing policy, giving priority access to PCR tests to high-risk groups at public testing sites across the nation.

High-risk groups include people aged 60 and older, those with underlying illnesses, and those who have been in close contact with confirmed patients. 

Others are offered a rapid antigen test at testing sites or state-designated hospitals and private medical clinics. If they test positive they will be given a PCR test to confirm their infection.

Some 730 state-designated hospitals and clinics are participating to carry out COVID-19 tests and treat patients. 

Health authorities say they plan to increase the number of the clinics to about one-thousand to swiftly respond to the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to extend current social distancing regulations by two more weeks, effective on Monday. 

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announced the decision during a government meeting on COVID-19 response in Seoul on Friday, saying the gathering cap of up to six people, as well as the curfew on restaurants and coffee shops of 9:00 p.m. will hold through February 20. 

The prime minister recognized that there were calls for partial lifts, but the government decided to keep the measures in place for now to curb the rapid spread of the omicron variant following the Lunar New Year holiday.

Kim added that the government will focus its efforts on enforcing response measures specifically for the omicron variant for the next two weeks.

He also said the eligibility for COVID-19 treatment pills will be lowered from 60 years to those in their 50s starting Monday.