Health authorities reported over four-thousand new COVID-19 cases on Thursday amid signs of a let-up in infections, while critical cases stayed below one-thousand for the third consecutive day. 

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said that four-thousand-126 cases were compiled throughout Wednesday. 

The daily tally decreased by over 300 from a day ago and nearly one-thousand from a week ago. It marks the first time the tally reported on a Thursday fell below five-thousand since November 25.  

The number of patients in serious or critical condition dropped by 71 from a day ago to 882, remaining below one-thousand for the third straight day. The figure fell to the 800 range for the first time in 24 days. 

Forty-nine more people died of the virus, bringing the accumulated death toll to five-thousand-887. The fatality rate stands at zero-point-nine percent.

Of the new cases, three-thousand-931 were local transmissions, including two-thousand-919 in the capital region, while 195 were from overseas.