New COVID-19 cases fall below 50,000; outdoor mask mandate set to be lifted

People wearing face masks pass by a poster in a subway station in Seoul, April 29, reminding them of precautions to take against COVID-19. AP-Yonhap

New COVID-19 cases fell below 50,000, Friday, with infections from the Omicron variant continuing their downward curve and leading the government to lift its outdoor mask mandate.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 43,286 new cases, including 12 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,237,878.

The number marks a sharp drop from 50,568 reported the previous day.

Seventy more deaths were also reported, bringing the toll to 22,794; meanwhile the number of critically ill patients stood at 490, down 36 from the previous day.

South Korea's COVID-19 cases have been decreasing after peaking in mid-March at over 600,000 ― the daily tally dropped to the 30,000s, April 25, for the first time in 76 days.

Starting Monday, South Korea will lift the outdoor mask mandate, though people are still required to wear a mask when they attend gatherings of 50 or more people or enter multiuse facilities. (Yonhap)

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