S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases rebound to over 30,000 after holiday

▲ This photo taken Jan. 25, 2023, shows an elementary school student in the southeastern city of Busan coming home from school with a mask in his hand. The government plans to lift a mask mandate for most indoor public spaces, including schools, on Jan. 30. (Yonhap)

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S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases rebound to over 30,000 after holiday

SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases rebounded to over 30,000 on Thursday after staying below 20,000 the previous four days due to fewer tests during the Lunar New Year holiday that ended Tuesday.

The country reported 35,096 new cases, including 34 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,075,652, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

Thursday's daily infections increased by more than 5,300 from a week earlier.

The country added 26 COVID-19 deaths, bringing the death toll to 33,296. The number of critically ill patients came to 489, up from 482 the previous day, the KDCA said.

The government plans to lift a mask mandate for most indoor public spaces, including schools, on Jan. 30, but people will still be required to wear masks on public transportation and in medical facilities.

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