Daily COVID-19 cases stayed above 50-thousand for a second day on Thursday amid the rapid spread of the omicron variant.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) reported that 53-thousand-926 cases were compiled throughout the previous day, including 129 from overseas. The total caseload came to one-million-239-thousand-287.

While the daily tally dropped by about 200 from the previous day, it is double the daily number from a week ago and about three-point-three times higher than the tally from two weeks ago. 

Despite soaring infections, the number of critical cases remains at a stable level as it dropped by eleven to 271. The figure remained in the 200s for the 14th straight day.

The number of deaths, however, soared to 49 from 20 a day earlier. The death toll increased to seven-thousand-12, with the fatality rate falling to zero-point-57 percent. The death toll surpassed seven-thousand 33 days after exceeding six-thousand. 

While the ICU occupancy rate for COVID-19 patients remains stable at 19-point-one percent nationwide, the number of home-treatment patients jumped by nearly three-thousand to over 177-thousand.