Health authorities reported more than three-thousand new COVID-19 cases for a third consecutive day amid a continued nationwide spread of the virus.   

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) reported Friday that three-thousand-34 new cases were detected throughout Thursday, raising the country's accumulative caseload to 409-thousand-99. 

The daily tally dropped by over 250 from the previous day, when it marked a record high of three-thousand-292. But it is 666 more than a week ago. 

Of the new cases, three-thousand-11 were local transmissions, while 23 were from overseas. The capital region accounted for 80-point-six percent of local infections, reporting two-thousand-428 cases. Non-capital areas added 583 infections.

The number of critically ill patients came to 499, down by seven from a day earlier. The death toll rose to three-thousand-215 with 28 additional deaths, while the fatality rate increased to zero-point-79 percent.