The government is discussing details of a so-called circuit breaker, or an emergency plan to counter an explosive spike in COVID-19 infections, while transitioning into the Living with COVID-19 system.

Senior health ministry official Son Young-rae on Thursday said talks are under way within the committee formed to help support the new scheme, but that they have yet to decide on the standard for tripping the safety switch.

Son said medical capacity in treating critically ill patients, hospital admissions and deaths will all be determining factors. 

The government earlier announced that the scheme could be suspended if more than 75 percent of hospital beds and intensive care units are occupied.

Calls are growing for a systemized emergency plan as around 25-hundred daily cases have been reported for two days in a row with the first phase of the transition starting on Monday.