A large crowd gathers at the Seoul Mobility Show 2023 at KINTEX in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, on April 2, 2023. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s daily coronavirus caseload stayed above 10,000 for the fourth straight day Friday, with unmasked gatherings rising amid warmer weather, data showed.
The country reported 10,735 new COVID-19 infections, including 17 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,894,559, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
The Friday tally fell from 14,465 cases Wednesday and 12,084 on Thursday. The daily caseload is slightly higher than the 10,368 logged a week ago.
The KDCA added nine more COVID-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 34,318. The number of critically ill patients came to 130, down from 136 a day earlier.
Health authorities are closely monitoring daily infections as outdoor leisure activities are on the rise after the government lifted most COVID-19 restrictions, including the mask mandate on public transportation.
Still, the mask mandate remains in place for medical facilities, pharmacies and other infection-prone places.
The government plans to shorten the mandatory COVID-19 isolation period to five days from the current seven in May.
(Yonhap)
