S. Korea’s new COVID-19 cases over 60,000 for 4th day as virus continues to spread

SEOUL. KAZINFORM - South Korea's new COVID-19 cases continued their weekly climb Friday, as the government mulls adjusting the indoor mask mandate even as the virus spreads, Yonhap reports.

The country reported 62,734 new COVID-19 infections, including 50 from overseas, bringing the total to 27,611,555, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

Friday's tally is slightly lower than the previous day's 65,253, but up by more than 9,700 from the same day a week earlier, and more than 9,000 higher than two weeks earlier, KDCA data showed.

The South Korean government said it will decide whether to lift the indoor mask mandate, the country's last remaining COVID-19 restriction, by the end of this month, based on various factors, including caseloads, deaths and hospitalizations.

On Friday, the government said the indoor mask mandate will be kept in place at high-risk facilities, such as senior care hospitals and nursing homes.

Daily caseloads are expected to continue on a slow incremental trend for the time being. The KDCA, however, did not rule out the possibility of another virus wave this winter.

The country added 67 COVID-19 deaths, bringing the death toll to 30,975.

The number of critically ill patients stood at 442, up seven from the previous day.

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