Health authorities forecast a rise in serious COVID-19 cases and related fatalities to begin their ascent this week, noting the surge of overall infections driven by the omicron variant.

Senior health ministry official Son Young-rae said on Monday that the projection is based on the past trend of critical cases rising two to three weeks after a spike in new cases.

Data shows the number of critical patients stood at 306 on Monday, surpassing 300 for the first time in 17 days.

The official, however, sought to temper concerns about critical care management, asserting that the nation's health care system has the capacity to handle up to one-thousand-500 critical cases. He added that around 75 percent of beds for the seriously ill nationwide are currently unoccupied.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said the government stands prepared to ease social distancing and entry pass regulations once critical cases and fatalities stabilize.