Current social distancing rules - on track to run through March 13 - could be eased earlier even as the omicron-driven COVID transmission has yet to reach its peak.

Senior health ministry official Son Young-rae said on Wednesday that adjustments will be finalized after the ministry determines whether a slowdown in the growth of new infections this week is anomalous. He said further monitoring will be required to predict whether cases will drop rapidly after hitting the transmission's peak.

The country is amid a three-week extension on restrictions that cap gatherings at six people and impose a 10 p.m. curfew for businesses, set to expire after March 13. 

The new adjustments, which could be announced by Friday, are currently under review. The government is giving particular consideration to omicron's criticality and fatality rates, which are lower than the delta strain’s, as well as the mounting losses suffered by small businesses.

Son reiterated the focus should be on minimizing critical cases and deaths, adding the tightened social distancing is not very effective in curbing omicron's transmission.

On Tuesday, the government suspended operation of the entry pass system at all multi-use facilities and relaxed quarantine protocols for cohabitants of infected patients.