Seoul, Sep 4 (IANS): South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed below 100,000 for the fourth straight day, local health authorities said Sunday, as a measure to scrap the pre-departure testing rule for arrivals has taken effect.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), 72,144 new infections, including 241 from overseas, have been confirmed, with the total caseload having risen to 23,569,192.

The daily caseload jumped to 115,615 cases on August 30 from 43,114 a day earlier, but it continued to decline in the past six days from August 30 through Sunday, Yonhap news agency reported.

The Sunday figure plunged by 13,089 cases compared to a week earlier.

Starting Saturday, South Korea suspended its mandatory pre-departure COVID-19 test for inbound travellers. A mandatory PCR test within the first 24 hours of entry into the country remains in place.

The KDCA reported 79 additional deaths from COVID-19, putting the death toll at 27,093. The fatality rate stood at 0.11 per cent.

The number of critically ill patients came to 548, up 28 from the previous day.

Health authorities remain wary of a potential uptick in cases later this month as many Koreans are expected to travel to their hometowns during the four-day Chuseok holiday that starts on Friday.

Of the 71,903 locally transmitted cases, Seoul reported 11,928 new cases, and Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital added 18,351 infections. Incheon, a port city 27 kilometers west of Seoul, identified 3,930 new cases.

Meawhile, the defence ministry reported 560 additional COVID-19 cases among its service members.

The new cases included 405 from the Army, 74 from the Air Force, 20 from the Navy, 34 from the Marine Corps and 27 from units under the direct control of the ministry. Currently, 4,963 military personnel are under treatment.