Health authorities may ease COVID-19 distancing measures despite the rapid spread of the omicron variant, provided that critical cases and death tolls remain stable. 

Lee Ki-il, a senior official of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, made the remarks during a briefing on Friday, echoing Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum’s remarks earlier in the day. 

Lee said although the government still has about a week before coming up with a new distancing scheme, it is willing to ease regulations, under certain provisions. 

He said regulators will take into account the efficacy of the omicron-tailored response system and the related changes in testing and treatment along with the number of critical cases and fatality rate before making a final decision.  

The official, however, ensured that any adjustment will be prudent adding that the current omicron-led spike is unlikely to peak by the end of this month and that the nation may see daily cases reach 100-thousand to 170-thousand.