Last day for outdoor mask mandate; new COVID-19 cases dip below 40,000
A man wearing a face mask passes by a sign at a park in Seoul, April 29, reminding people to take precautions against COVID-19. AP-Yonhap
New COVID-19 cases fell below 40,000, Saturday, continuing a steady decline from early last month, with the government set to lift the outdoor mask mandate in a major step toward returning to normalcy.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 37,771 new infections, including 30 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,275,649.
The tally is a marked drop from the previous day's 43,286 and 50,568 reported Thursday. The daily counts have been on a steady decline since mid-March, when the number topped 600,000 at one point before coming down to five-digits over about a month.
Eighty-one new deaths were recorded bringing the total to 22,875, the KDCA said, for a fatality rate of 0.13 percent.
The number of critically ill patients came to 493, up from 490 the previous day.
The modest fall in virus cases comes as the administration is set to scrap its outdoor mask mandate, starting Monday, except for large gatherings of 50 or more, as it begins to take steps toward returning to normalcy. (Yonhap)