S.Korea shuts ski resorts, winter tourism to curb COVID-19 spread

S.Korea shuts ski resorts, winter tourism to curb COVID-19 spread

S.Korea shuts ski resorts, winter tourism to curb COVID-19 spread

40 minutes ago

People wait in a line to undergo coronavirus disease tests at a coronavirus testing site in Seoul. Reuters

South Korea on Tuesday moved to shut down all ski resorts and winter tourist spots in a bid to stop the novel coronavirus spreading as a third wave of the pandemic proves much tougher to contain in the densely populated region around the capital city.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the government will close ski facilities, ice rinks and tourist attractions from Dec.24 to Jan.3. Gatherings of more than four people will be banned while tighter anti-virus curbs will be imposed on restaurants to tamp down infections, he said in a televised briefing.

Pigeons fly over people who wait in a line to undergo coronavirus disease test at a coronavirus testing site in Seoul. Reuters

The announcement comes after Seoul and surrounding areas banned gatherings of more than four people over the Christmas and New Year holidays as the country recording its highest daily death toll from the coronavirus on Monday.

South Korea reported 869 new coronavirus cases as of Monday midnight, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Tuesday, down from the