Daily COVID-19 cases climbed to nearly 40-thousand on Sunday amid the rapid spread of the omicron variant, with the country's total caseload surpassing one million.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Sunday that 38-thousand-691 infections were reported throughout the previous day, including 189 cases from overseas. The total caseload came to one-million-nine-thousand-688.

The cumulative number surpassed 500-thousand on December 10 last year, about 22 months after the country reported its first confirmed case, and doubled in just two months.

The omicron variant is driving the rapid increase of the daily tally as well, which increased two-point-two times from a week ago and more than five times from two weeks ago.

Despite the soaring cases, the number of critically ill patients edged up three to 272, remaining in the 200s for the ninth consecutive day.

Fifteen people died of the virus in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to six-thousand-873. The fatality rate fell to zero-point-68 percent.

The ICU occupancy rate was around 17 percent nationwide as of 5 p.m. Saturday. However, the number of patients under treatment at home climbed by about ten-thousand to over 128-thousand.