New COVID-19 cases in South Korea stayed in the ten-thousand range for a second day amid a continued downturn in infections.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Friday that 16-thousand-584 infections were confirmed throughout the previous day, including 49 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18 million-53-thousand-287.

It marks the first time in 17 weeks that Friday's daily tally fell below 20-thousand.

The figure dropped by some 85-hundred from a week ago and 15-thousand from two weeks ago.

The number of serious and critical patients receiving care at the hospital dropped by 36 from a day ago to 207.

Thursday saw 40 deaths, raising the death toll to 24-thousand-103 and the fatality rate standing at zero-point-13 percent.