Starting February 4, the isolation period for all arrivals from overseas will be reduced from the current ten to seven days. Entry restrictions on short-term foreign travelers from eleven African nations will also be lifted.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters said the shorter quarantine time is in line with a shift to an omicron-tailored pandemic response system.

A ten-day isolation rule on all arrivals regardless of vaccination status was aimed at preventing the influx of omicron cases.

But as the new strain became dominant in the country, the government has shifted focus.

Also, with omicron's prevalence around the world, country-specific measures are deemed to be less effective now, which explains the lifting of entry restrictions on short-term visitors from eleven African nations.

But authorities said they will maintain all other stepped-up entry measures at the current level.