(LEAD) S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases drop to 5-month low

▲ A medical worker conducts a COVID-19 test at a screening clinic in front of Seoul Station on June 13, 2022. (Yonhap)

▲ A COVID-19 testing station in Seoul is empty on June 8, 2022, as South Korea has seen a gradual decrease in new infections in recent weeks. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) coronavirus-additional cases

(LEAD) S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases drop to 5-month low

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SEOUL, June 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell to their lowest tally in five months Monday as the country is working to return to pre-pandemic normalcy.

The country added 3,828 COVID-19 infections, including 60 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,229,288, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

Monday's count is the lowest since the 3,094 reported on Jan. 11.

Daily infections have shown a downward trend after posting an all-time high of over 620,000 in mid-March.

The number of deaths came to 17, bringing the death toll to 24,388. The fatality rate stood at 0.13 percent.

The number of critically ill patients stood at 95, down three from the previous day, the KDCA said.

Of the 3,768 locally transmitted cases, Seoul accounted for 659 cases, with surrounding Gyeonggi Province reporting 1,021 cases. There were 104 infections in Incheon.

As of Monday, 44.61 million, or 86.9 percent of the population, had completed the full two-dose vaccinations, and 33.34 million had received their first booster shots.

More than 4.26 million people, or 8.3 percent of the population, had gotten their second booster shots, the KDCA said.

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