This photo shows a local pediatrician in Seoul with a notice informing people of the COVID-19 vaccination for children under age 4 on Feb. 12, 2023. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s new COVID-19 cases fell below 12,000 on Friday, continuing a marked on-week decline amid a gradual virus downtrend.
The country reported 11,436 new infection cases, including 24 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,408,656, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
It was a decline from 12,519 cases a day earlier. The comparable figure a week earlier was 13,504.
The KDCA reported 28 deaths from COVID-19, putting the death toll at 33,832.
The number of critically ill patients came to 216, down from 217 a day earlier.
The infection numbers have been on a steady decline despite concerns over an uptick following the removal of the indoor mask mandate late last month.
The numbers of serious cases and deaths also have been decreasing.
But the government has stressed that the virus poses greater threats to senior citizens and other risk-prone groups, calling on them to be vaccinated and pushing to expand oral treatment pill prescription programs.
During the second week of this month, 89.4 percent of the country’s seriously ill COVID-19 patients and 95 percent of deaths were in their 60s or older, according to the KDCA.
The average fatality rate came to 0.11 percent, but the figure for people in their 70s rose to 0.45 percent, and further to 1.96 percent for those in their 80s and older, it added.
“Studies show that additional vaccination reduces the risk of infections developing into serious cases. It is highly recommended for vulnerable groups to be vaccinated once again,” a KDCA official said.
Given the stable virus situation, South Korea will increase flights linking China to 80 from the current 62 per week by the end of this month, and further to 100 starting next month, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said during a virus response meeting.
The government will also make a decision next week on whether to lift the mandatory pre- and post-entry COVID-19 test scheme and other entry restrictions on travelers from China.
The curbs have been in place since last month as part of effort to stem the virus inflow from the neighboring country.
(Yonhap)
