South Korea on Sunday decided to raise social distancing regulations for the greater Seoul area and the southwestern region amid a spike in COVID-19 cases.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced in a press briefing that Level Two distancing, the third-highest in the country's five-tier COVID-19 alert system, will be applied to the nation's capital area, while North and South Jeolla Provinces will be under Level One-point-Five distancing.

The tougher measures will be enforced for two weeks starting Tuesday.

Under the Level Two scheme, gatherings involving 100 or more people are banned, while some high-risk facilities, including clubs and bars, have to suspend their business.

Restaurants are allowed to serve food until 9 p.m., with only takeout and delivery services available afterward. For cafes and coffee shops, indoor dining is not allowed, and they can only offer takeout and delivery services.

Indoor sports facilities are required to halt operations after 9 p.m. 

The attendance cap in the greater Seoul area is placed at one-third of students in kindergartens, primary schools and middle schools while the cap is placed at two-thirds of students in high schools.