SOUTH Korea has decided not to move into the second phase of its "Living with Covid-19" plan as coronavirus infections has spiked again in the country.
Health authorities said hospitals were already facing bed shortages and it was decided that the current first stage will continue for another month along with "special quarantine measures."
The Korea Times reports that amid the rising infections, the government has also decided that its Covid-19 vaccination certificate will expire six months after the second jab, so as to encourage more people to get booster shots.
These measures come as the number of daily new infections has remained at around 4,000 for nearly a week, and critical cases and deaths are rapidly rising along with breakthrough infections.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has also raised the risk level for the current virus situation to "very high" for all parts of the country.
It is the highest level in its five-tier evaluation system.
Last week, the greater Seoul area was categorised as "very high" while levels in other regions were either "medium" or "high."
President Moon Jae-in said the country had overcome crises multiple times so far, but warned they were now having a crisis at another level.
"The number of new patients, critical patients and deaths are all increasing, and we are running short of hospital beds," he said.
"If we fail to overcome this crisis, our attempt to return to normality may gradually fail. We need more vigilance and a united response more than ever," he said during a special virus response meeting with relevant government organisation heads.
Only those with the vaccination certificates, called "vaccine passes", are now allowed to use multiuse facilities.
Authorities are also encouraging people aged over 60 and staff at geriatric facilities to receive booster shots four months after their second dose.
For those between 18 and 60, the recommended interval is five months.
"The urgent task is to have people get their third shots as soon as possible," Moon said, adding that they needed to change the perception that the third shot was additional.
He said getting the third shot constitutes full vaccination.
The Times said that to deal with the shortage of hospital beds for Covid-19 patients, health authorities will mandate all patients to initially undergo home treatment.
They will be hospitalised only when their conditions are serious or if there is a risk they may spread the virus to others at home.
The government will also have medical centres in the community to monitor their condition and provide home care kits comprising thermometers, oximeters and fever reducers.
Temporary treatment centres will be set up at various regions so that those in home treatment can be examined and treated if their condition worsened.
The authorities have also strongly recommended children aged between 12 and 17 years to get vaccinated as their vaccination rate was still low amid concerns about side effects, while infections among them were increasing.
They are now discussing on tightening the cap of participants at private gatherings or visitors to restaurants and cafes, as well as expanding the vaccine pass to people aged under 18.