South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell for the fifth consecutive day Sunday amid the government's efforts to prevent the inflow of the virus from China.

A total of 46,766 new coronavirus infections, including 132 from overseas, have been confirmed, bringing the total to 29,520,600, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

The number of daily infections surged to over 80,000 on Tuesday but has since been on a steady decline. Compared with a week earlier, Sunday's figure is down by more than 10,000.

The country added 34 COVID-19 deaths, bringing the death toll to 32,590. The number of critically ill patients came to 526, down from the previous day's 544, the KDCA said.

South Korea has been strengthening quarantine measures again for overseas entrants in the wake of the recent surge in infections in China and other adjacent regions.

Arrivals from China are required to present a negative polymerase chain reaction or antigen test for the coronavirus before boarding. The measure, which went into effect Thursday, came after the government began requiring them to undergo a post-entry polymerase chain reaction test Monday.

Travelers from Hong Kong and Macao also now have to show a negative pre-entry virus test. (Yonhap)