S. Korea bans year-end parties, some music lessons, as virus spikes again

A woman wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus walks along a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020. South Korea is shutting down indoor gyms offering intense workout classes and banning year-end parties at hotels in the greater Seoul area to fight the virus. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Sunday. - AP

SEOUL, Nov 29 (Reuters): South Korean authorities announced a ban on year-end parties and some music lessons on Sunday and said public saunas and some cafes must also close after coronavirus infections surged at their fastest pace since the early days of the pandemic.

South Korea has been one of the world's coronavirus mitigation success stories but spikes in infections have reappeared relentlessly, triggering alarm in Asia's fourth-largest economy.