Business restrictions on restaurants, cafes and gyms in areas outside the capital region will be eased from Monday.

The government announced on Saturday that the current 9 p.m. limit will be extended to 10 p.m. for some businesses outside the wider metropolitan area.

The move will be applied to about 580-thousand businesses, including restaurants, cafes, indoor sports facilities and karaoke rooms.

Seoul and its surrounding areas of Gyeonggi Province and Incheon will remain under the 9 p.m. limit.

Amid lingering virus concerns, the current Level 2.5 social distancing for the greater Seoul area and Level 2 for the rest of the country will still be in place through the end of the Lunar New Year holiday on February 14.

The government will also keep the ban on private gatherings of five or more people across the nation during the extended period.