South Korea's capital Seoul and its neighboring regions will delay the relaxation of social distancing rules by one week due to a sudden increase in COVID-19 infections, Yonhap News Agency reported on Wednesday.

The government had previously said it would relax social distancing and allow private gatherings of up to six people, from the current four, in the greater Seoul area starting Thursday as the country's inoculation drive has been picking up speed.

The country reported 794 new cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Tuesday, up from 595 the previous day, the highest number since April 23.

The continued triple-digit growth was attributed to small clusters of infections in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi province as well as imported cases. 

(With input from agencies)