South Korea extended its social distancing policy for another 15 days on Sunday but offered some relief for churches and sporting fixtures, as it reported just eight new coronavirus infections, the lowest in two months.
The slightly relaxed guidelines mean high-risk facilities like churches will no longer have to close, while sports matches such as soccer can resume without an audience. "It is safest to maintain intensive social distancing, but it isn't easy realistically. We need to find a middle ground," Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun told a televised meeting of government officials.
"If we can maintain stable management at the current level, we will shift to 'routine social distancing' from May 6," Chung said.