South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 12,000 Thursday, as the coronavirus has been slowing down for months.

The country reported 11,400 new COVID-19 infections, including 21 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,739,457, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said.

The Thursday figure declined from the 13,081 reported the previous day. It went up slightly from the 9,932 a week ago and the 10,885 two weeks ago.

The KDCA reported 14 COVID-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 34,201. The number of critically ill patients stood at 133, up from 131 the previous day.

Early this week, the government lifted the mask-wearing mandate on public transportation while maintaining it in infection-prone places, like hospitals.

The government announced Wednesday it planned to administer free coronavirus vaccines for the entire population in the fourth quarter to reduce COVID-19-related deaths and hospitalizations.

For those with a compromised immune system, there will be one more inoculation in the second quarter, it said. (Yonhap)