Daily COVID-19 cases climbed above 57-thousand to hit a new high on Tuesday, with a rise in critical cases and deaths.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Tuesday that 57-thousand-177 infections were confirmed throughout the previous day, including 165 cases from overseas. The total caseload came to one million-462-thousand-421.

The daily tally rose by some 25-hundred from a day ago and remains above 50-thousand for the sixth consecutive day.

Health authorities expect the figure to reach up to 170-thousand by the end of the month.

The number of critically ill patients rose by eight to 314, staying over 300 for the second day.

With the rise in critical cases, the ICU occupancy rate for COVID-19 patients came to 26-point-eight percent nationwide as of 5 p.m. Monday, up one-point-one percentage point from a day earlier.

Sixty-one deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, tripling from a day ago. It marks the largest figure since January 19 when 74 deaths were reported. The death toll rose to seven-thousand-163, with the fatality rate falling to zero-point-49 percent.

The number of home-treatment patients jumped by over 13-thousand to nearly 246-thousand.