The fatality rate of COVID-19 over the past four weeks has been similar to the seasonal flu, according to the government.  

A senior official at the Central Disaster Management Headquarters, Son Young-rae, said on Tuesday that the fatality rate of COVID-19 over the past four weeks stood at below zero-point-one percent. Son compared it with the seasonal flu, for which the fatality rate ranges between zero-point-zero-five to zero-point-one percent.

Although South Korea continues to see record levels of COVID-19 deaths, the government has stressed that the fatality rate in the country is much lower than in other countries, standing at about one-tenth of the rate recorded in the U.S. or France.

Authorities, however, said the number of deaths and hospital admissions may continue to rise for up to three weeks, after peaking from March 16 to March 22.

The government will begin collecting opinions from medical experts and small business owners from Wednesday as it develops the next set of distancing rules, set to be implemented from next Monday. 

Current distancing rules keep the cap on private gatherings at six, with the curfew for restaurants and cafes set at 11 p.m.