SEOUL: South Korea reported more recoveries from the coronavirus than new infections on Friday for the first time since its outbreak emerged in January.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) recorded 110 new coronavirus cases on Friday compared with 114 a day earlier, taking the national tally to 7,979. The death toll rose by five to 72 as of late Friday, Reuters reported.
In contrast, 177 patients were released from hospitals where they had been isolated for treatment, the KCDC said.
This marks the first time that the daily number of recovered people exceeded that of new infections since South Korea’s first patient was confirmed on Jan. 20.
The latest figures are in line with a downward trend in new cases which has raised hopes that the outbreak may be easing in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
The trend is expected to persist, with more self-quarantined patients being discharged in the coming days, KCDC chief Jeong Eun-kyeong said.
But officials urged vigilance after new clusters of infections emerged at a call center in a crowded part of the capital Seoul, and the fisheries ministry based in the administrative city of Sejong.
(With inputs from agencies)
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