Daily COVID-19 cases soared above 50-thousand for the first time to reach a new all-time high on Thursday amid the rapid spread of the omicron variant.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) reported that 54-thousand-122 cases were compiled throughout the previous day, including 88 from overseas. The total caseload came to one-million-185-thousand-361.

It is the first time the daily tally has exceeded 50-thousand since the nation reported its first coronavirus case on January 20 of 2020.

The figure is doubling almost every week, surpassing 20-thousand last Wednesday and 40-thousand this Wednesday. 

The number of critical cases is also showing signs of a gradual increase, although it dropped by three from the day before to 282 and remained in the 200s for the 13th straight day.

Twenty more people died of the virus, raising the death toll to six-thousand-963. The fatality rate dropped to zero-point-59 percent.

While the ICU occupancy rate for COVID-19 patients remains stable at 19-point-four percent nationwide, the number of home-treatment patients jumped by more than six-thousand to over 174-thousand.