New COVID-19 cases rise amid eased virus curbs
People walk in Suncheon station, South Jeolla Province, May 9. Yonhap
New COVID-19 cases bounced back to above 40,000 for Monday amid the government's eased virus curbs designed to move the country back to pre-pandemic normalcy.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 49,933 new infections, including 23 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,614,895.
The tally is up from 40,064 for Saturday 20,601, Sunday.
The jump came as family and religious gatherings increased last week as Children's Day was celebrated Thursday, and Parents' Day and Buddha's Birthday, Sunday.
The daily count also tends to fall on Sundays and Mondays due to fewer tests over the weekend before rising toward the end of the following week.
The KDCA added 62 more deaths, bringing the total to 23,462 for a fatality rate of 0.13 percent; while the number of critically ill patients dropped to 398 from 421 a day earlier.
The government lifted the outdoor mask mandate May 2, except for large gatherings of 50 or more, as it pushes toward a return to normalcy. The indoor mask mandate remains in effect.
The country's daily infections have been on a downward trend in recent weeks after peaking at over 620,000 in mid-March amid the spread of the Omicron variant. (Yonhap)