South Korea urges staggered vacations, warns against gatherings as coronavirus cases rise

FILE PHOTO: File picture of people waiting in line to get tickets for a performance of the Phantom of the Opera as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in Seoul, South Korea, June 18, 2020. REUTERS/Daewoung Kim

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's health authorities called on Monday for citizens to stagger vacation schedules ahead of the holiday season and avoid gatherings at workplaces and religious facilities, as coronavirus infections from small clusters persist.

After battling the first major coronavirus epidemic outside China, South Korea managed to reduce the rates of daily infections to single digits by late April, propelled by an intensive tracking and testing campaign.