South Korea’s new coronavirus cases stayed below 20,000 for the second straight day Friday as the country is regaining pre-pandemic normalcy amid a downward trend.
The country reported 17,933 new infection cases, including 28 imported cases, bringing the total caseload to 31,629,442, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said.
Friday’s count fell from 19,080 cases a day earlier and 19,586 a week earlier, continuing the moderate decline in the daily infection figures.
South Korea reported 15 COVID-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 34,751.
The number of critically ill patients came to 180, slightly up from 173 a day earlier, the health agency said.
Health authorities are set to downgrade the national crisis level for COVID-19 to “alert” from “serious” next week. Starting June 1, the mask mandate will only be applied to hospitals with inpatient rooms and residential-type high-risk facilities.
The mandatory isolation period also will be reduced to five days as a recommendation, from the seven-day requirement.
Source: Yonhap News Agency