S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases below 20,000 for 3rd day as pandemic slows

A huge audience waits for performances at the Seoul Jazz Festival 2022 at Olympic Park in Seoul, May 27. Yonhap

South Korea reported fewer than 20,000 COVID-19 cases for the third consecutive day Friday, with critical cases also dropping to a 10-month low, amid the receding of the Omicron variant wave.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 14,398 new infections, including 45 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,067,669.

The number of critically ill patients stood at 196, dropping below 200 for the first time in around 10 months.

The KDCA recorded 36 additional deaths, taking the total to 24,139 for a fatality rate of 0.13 percent.

South Korea's daily caseload peaked at over 621,000, March 17, driven by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant nationwide.

As of midnight Friday, 44.57 million, or 86.9 percent of the population, had completed the full two-dose vaccination protocol, and 33.28 million (64.9 percent) had received their first booster shots. More than 3.97 million people have had their second boosters, the KDCA said. (Yonhap)

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