As the government is contemplating new social distancing guidelines, which will be announced on Friday, the presidential transition committee said it is time to consider ending the 11 p.m. business curfew. 

Transition team spokesperson Shin Yong-hyeon said in a news briefing on Wednesday that if health authorities assess that infections have peaked and begun to subside, then it is right to ease social distancing.​ 

She said that of eleven agencies, nine have concluded that the omicron wave has begun to wane. 

Meanwhile, daily COVID-19 cases bounced back to top 400-thousand on Wednesday with critical cases surging to a record high.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) reported 424-thousand-641 cases compiled in the 24-hour period through 12 a.m. Wednesday, including 32 overseas infections, bringing the total caseload to 12-million-774-thousand-956.

The daily figure gained over 77-thousand from a day ago, mostly stemming from normalization after fewer tests on the weekend. It is down by some 66-thousand from a week ago, and marks a decrease of around 24-thousand from two weeks ago.

The number of patients in serious and critical condition rose by 86 to a record high of one-thousand-301, remaining above one-thousand for the 23rd straight day.

Four-hundred-32 virus-induced deaths were reported, raising the death toll to 15-thousand-855. It is the second highest daily death tally following 469 announced last Thursday. The fatality rate remains at zero-point-12 percent.

The occupancy rate of ICU beds for critically ill patients nationwide declined slightly to 66-point-four percent from 68-point-two percent a day earlier.

The number of home-treatment patients stood at one-million-712-thousand-515.