South Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit 17-week low as Omicron wave recedes
Chuncheon International Mime Festival is held at Myeongdong Street in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, May 22. Yonhap
New COVID-19 cases fell to a 17-week low Monday, as the Omicron-driven surge has slowed in recent weeks.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 9,975 new infections, including 17 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,967,672.
Sunday's tally dropped by more than 3,300 cases from a week earlier and was the lowest since the 8,570 cases reported Jan. 24 in what has become a steady downward trend in new infections.
South Korea's daily caseload peaked at over 620,000, March 17, fueled by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
The KDCA said the country added 22 deaths, taking the total to 23,987 for a fatality rate of 0.13 percent; while the number of critically ill patients fell to 225 from 229 a day earlier. (Yonhap)