South Korea reported the lowest COVID-19 daily cases in around six weeks for the 24 hours of Sunday, according to the country’s health authorities on Monday.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country’s daily COVID-19 infections reported for Sunday reached 127,190, bringing the total caseload to 14,001,406.

This daily figure was the lowest since Feb. 22, when the country reported 99,562 COVID-19 cases.

The noticeable decrease Sunday was largely due to the ongoing downward trend in the omicron wave, as well as fewer tests conducted over the weekend.

The number of COVID-19-related deaths and critically ill patients, however, still remained at high levels.

The country added 218 deaths Sunday, raising the death toll from COVID-19 to 17,453.

The number of critically ill patients stood at 1,108.

A government official said Monday that the number of COVID-19 deaths and severe cases is expected to peak this week or next, and start to decrease afterward. The official noted that the figures will, however, remain lower than previously expected.

“The increases (in the number of severe cases and COVID-19 deaths) have not been as dramatic as the government earlier expected,” Son Young-rae, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said in a radio interview Monday.

The government had said the number of critically ill patients would peak at between 1,300 and 1,800.

Regarding the number of COVID-19 deaths, Son also expressed hopes that the figure would shift to a downward trend soon.