Health authorities reported over seven-thousand new COVID-19 cases for the second straight day, with the number of critically ill patients nearing one-thousand. 

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said on Thursday that seven-thousand-622 cases were compiled throughout the previous day, bringing the cumulative total to 544-thousand-117. 

The daily tally fell by about 220 from a day ago, but marks a rise of 520 from a week ago. A total of seven-thousand-591 cases were local transmissions while 31 were from overseas.

The number of critically-ill COVID-19 patients hit a new high of 989, exceeding 900 for the third consecutive day. 

With the continued rise of serious cases, 81-point-four percent of ICU beds nationwide were occupied as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, with the rate reaching 87 percent in the capital region. 

Sixty-two more people died of the virus, raising the overall death toll to four-thousand-518. The fatality rate stands at zero-point-83 percent.

The number of omicron infections rose by 20 to 148.