South Korea is imposing stricter social distancing measures, including limiting restaurant hours and social gatherings, as a surge in coronavirus cases threatens to undermine earlier efforts to contain the pandemic.
The country’s social distancing alert level was raised to 2 from 1.5 for the greater Seoul area, effective Tuesday. That will lead to a ban in gatherings in high-risk facilities such as night clubs and karaoke bars, while restaurants are prohibited from serving customers after 9 p.m. and can only handle takeouts and deliveries.
The latest uptick comes just four days after South Korea raised the social distancing level to 1.5 from 1 in the greater Seoul area, limiting spectator capacity at sports events and banning concerts and other public events with more than 100 people. The country last raised the alert level to 2 after a virus surge in August.