Korea reported 269 new omicron variant cases on Friday, marking the highest daily level and bringing the total to 894.

Due to the rapid spread of the new variant and the undiminishing number of critically ill Covid-19 patients, the government extended the current social distancing rules for another two weeks.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) attributed the surge of Omicron cases, about 2.5 times higher than the previous record, in part to the use of newly developed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests across the country.

If the Omicron variant keeps spreading to emerge as the dominant strain of new virus cases, the number of daily Covid-19 infections could surge to 14,000 a day by the end of next month even if the nation maintains the present social distancing system, the KDCA said based on its study conducted jointly with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST).   

The new PCR test reduces the time detecting the omicron variant to three to four hours from three to five days. Health authorities previously used a PCR test to distinguish between four variants -- Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta -- and conducted additional genome analysis to determine whether the case involved omicron. The new PCR test is the first in the world that can detect all five main variants.

Still, a ranking quarantine official noted that although the Omicron variant is three or four times more contagious than existing strains, it is less likely to develop into severe or critical cases.

“If Omicron becomes the dominant strain, some conditions will likely improve for the nation to restore normal daily life,” said Kwon Jun-wook, director of the National Institute of Health. “I think the nation will move closer to everyday life next year, although wearing face masks will become routine when meeting older adults or sick people.”

Under the extended distancing measures, the maximum size of private gatherings is limited to four people nationwide, from the previous limit of six in the capital area and eight elsewhere.

A 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. curfew is applied to businesses as well, depending on their type of service.

"We have decided to extend the current social distancing measures, such as limiting business hours and reducing private gatherings, for two more weeks," Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said. "While the number of confirmed cases has turned to a decreasing trend, it is still too early to say that we are out of the woods yet."

However, the government will apply somewhat adjusted rules depending on business lines.

For instance, it will allow the audience’s entry to movie theaters and concert halls as long as visitors enter the facilities before 9:00 p.m. and the movie or performance ends before midnight.

In contrast, health officials will expand its implementation of vaccine mandate to department stores and supermarkets from Jan. 10 with a one-week grace period. It will also postpone the vaccine pass implementation for adolescents to March after a one-month grace period.

To help ease self-employed people suffering from protracted business restrictions, the government will provide 5 million won ($4,200) as Covid-19 damage compensation to about 550,000 small business owners in the first quarter of next year.

"The government will release urgent funds to ease financial difficulties of small businesses as early as possible, considering they have to pay the full cost of labor and rent while giving up the year-end sales,” Prime Minister Kim said.

"If the quarantine situation stabilizes after two weeks, we will actively consider easing measures," Kim said.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) confirmed 4,875 new virus cases, including 4,758 local infections, raising the cumulative caseload to 630,838. One hundred and eight more people died of Covid-19, lifting the death toll to 5,563, with a fatality rate of 0.88 percent.

The number of critically ill Covid-19 patients remained above 1,000 for 11 consecutive days as the KCDA confirmed 1,056 critically ill Covid-19 on Friday.

The government has vaccinated 44,219,648 people – 11,154,969 with the AstraZeneca vaccine, 24,728,997 with Pfizer's vaccine, 1,509,733 with Janssen's vaccine, 6,779,303 with Moderna's vaccine – with the first shot of the vaccine up 46,646 from the previous day. In addition, it has provided more than 17.6 million booster shots to older adults and other vulnerable groups.

Some 82.8 percent of Koreans were fully vaccinated, 86.1 percent had received their first shots, and 34.4 percent had received booster shots.