TOKYO, March 5 (KUNA) -- South Korea added 398 new coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the country's total caseload to 91,638, said Yonhap News Agency.
The country reported eight more deaths from COVID-19, raising the total to 1,627, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Of the newly identified local infections, 129 cases were reported in Seoul and 168 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. The government on Monday extended the current social distancing rules for another two weeks through March 14.
The greater Seoul area, home to about half of the nation's 52 million population, is under Level 2, the third highest in its five-tier system, and other regions are placed under Level 1.5.
Private gatherings of five or more people are banned.
The country launched a mass vaccination campaign last Friday starting with the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca. (end) mk.gta