S. Korea keeps crowd limits as omicron causes 25-fold spike

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea will extend restaurant dining hours but maintain a six-person limit on private social gatherings as it wrestles with a massive coronavirus wave driven by the highly infectious omicron variant. The 109,831 new cases reported on Friday was another record and about a 25-fold increase from mid-January, when omicron became the country’s dominant strain. Officials acknowledged people’s frustration with the restrictions but said easing them significantly wasn’t possible when hospitalizations and deaths are starting to creep up. About 30% of intensive care units designated for COVID-19 treatment are occupied.