SKorea bans gatherings of 5 or more people amid virus surge

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea will prohibit private social gatherings of five or more people nationwide and force restaurants to close at 9 p.m. as the country grapples with the deadliest month of the pandemic. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said the tougher new measures will be enforced for at least 16 days after taking effect on Saturday, saying there’s an urgent need to bring the country to a “standstill” with the delta-driven surge overwhelming stretched hospitals and exhausted medical workers. Schools in the densely populated capital Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas, where the virus has hit hardest, will also go back to remote learning after fully reopening in November.