Daily COVID-19 cases fell to the 100-thousand range, but the number of critical cases remained in the 500s for the third straight day.
  
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Friday, 101-thousand-140 cases were confirmed throughout the previous day, including 358 from overseas.
 
The country's cumulative caseload came to almost 22 million-803-thousand.

The daily tally dropped by about 12-thousand from a day ago and 37-thousand from a week ago. It marks the lowest for Friday figures since July 29, when it posted 85-thousand-279.

The government is expecting the latest wave to begin subsiding next week.

However, the numbers of critical patients and deaths remain high.
 
The number of critically ill hospitalized patients rose by nine from a day ago to 575, the largest in about four months since April 26, when it marked 613.

Eighty-one deaths were reported on Thursday, raising the overall death toll to 26-thousand-413. The fatality rate stands at zero-point-12 percent.

The occupancy rate of ICU beds for COVID-19 patients nationwide came to 45-point-eight percent, down half of a percentage point from a day ago.