Korea Reports Lowest COVID-19 Tally in 31 Weeks Amid Gradual Downtrend

South Korea has reported a decline in COVID-19 cases, with Friday's tally reaching the lowest in 31 weeks. The country recorded 14,961 new cases, including 28 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,228,889, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). This marks a significant decrease from the 31,711 infections seen a week earlier and is the lowest daily count for any Friday since July 1, 2020.

In addition to the decline in cases, the number of critically ill patients has also decreased, with 339 patients reported as of Friday, down from 345 the previous day. The KDCA has attributed this downtrend to the passing of the winter wave and stated that the trend is expected to continue despite some fluctuations.

The government has taken steps to support the return to normalcy, with the indoor mask mandate being lifted on Monday, excluding hospitals, pharmacies, and public transportation. However, despite the decrease in cases, the internal affairs ministry has advised local governments to refrain from sending emergency phone messages to residents detailing the number of COVID-19 infections in their respective regions. This is due to some complaints over "unnecessary" warnings given the current virus situation and concerns that repeated alerts would prevent people from taking them seriously.

Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo emphasized that the government will maintain its guard and closely monitor new virus variants, prevent the inflow of the virus from overseas, and properly manage hospital beds. South Korea has implemented a seven-day mandatory quarantine for those infected with COVID-19, as well as several other restrictive measures, including curbs on entrants from China.

While South Korea has seen a significant decrease in COVID-19 cases, the government has stressed the importance of continued vigilance and monitoring in the face of new virus variants.