Daily COVID-19 cases fell to the three-thousand range for the first time in four weeks, but the number of critical cases remained above one-thousand for over a week.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Tuesday that three-thousand-865 new infections were reported throughout the previous day, raising the accumulated caseload to 615-thousand-532. 

The daily figure dropped to the three-thousand range for the first time since November 30. It fell by about 340 from a day ago and over 13-hundred from a week ago. The fall is likely due to more booster shots and stepped-up social distancing rules. 

However, the number of patients in serious or critical condition rose by 24 from the previous day to one-thousand-102, the second highest tally to date. The number remained above one-thousand for the eighth consecutive day. 

Forty-six more people died of the virus, raising the accumulated death toll to five-thousand-346. The fatality rate stands at zero-point-87 percent.

The number of omicron infections rose by four to a total of 449.