Health authorities warned that the government should not be hasty in easing social distancing measures despite a growing sense of fatigue among the public following weeks of toughened restrictions. 

Kwon Jun-wook, the deputy head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said in a regular media briefing on Friday that only when the current distancing protocols remain in place, even taking steps to adopt tougher measures, can infection rates remain at a relatively manageable level despite the steady pace of vaccination. 

Kwon stressed that no country has yet to succeed in returning to a pre-pandemic level by pursuing both COVID-19 vaccination and easing distancing rules at the same time. 

He called distancing “invariable” in dealing with the current wave of the pandemic, while defining COVID-19 variants such as the delta strain as "major variables” and "extremely threatening." 

The senior health official then urged the public to bear with the measures, such as wearing masks and adhering to social distancing guidelines, until the nation's rate of full vaccination rises to an acceptable level.