(LEAD) New COVID-19 cases fall below 40,000 amid virus slowdown

(ATTN: UPDATES with details in paras 5-8; CHANGES headline)

SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell for the fourth consecutive day to below 40,000 on Sunday as the spread of the virus slows down.

The country reported 34,764 new COVID-19 infections, including 241 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 24,394,466, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

The daily caseload decreased more than 8,600 from the previous day.

An omicron variant had led to a virus resurgence in early July, with the daily caseload spiking to more than 180,000 in mid-August after falling to as low as the 3,000s in June. Authorities believe the virus wave is now on track for a gradual slowdown.

On Friday, Jung Ki-suck, a civilian adviser to the government task force on the pandemic, said South Korea needs to prepare to gradually end the COVID-19 emergency response system in a move toward returning to normalcy.

He said the country "should prepare an exit strategy" from the pandemic as major countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany and France, have lifted indoor mask mandates except for several facilities.

The World Health Organization has also declared the end of the pandemic is in sight.

In April, South Korea removed almost all social distancing rules to support the people's return to normalcy, including private gathering limits and business hour curfews.

The KDCA reported 46 deaths from COVID-19, putting the death toll at 27,828. The fatality rate was 0.11 percent.

The number of critically ill patients came to 489, up 12 from a day earlier.

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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