Daily COVID-19 cases stayed over 100-thousand for a third consecutive day amid the rapid spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Sunday that 104-thousand-829 cases were compiled throughout the previous day, including 97 cases from overseas. The total caseload came to one million-962-thousand-837.

The figure rose by over 26-hundred from a day ago and stayed above 100-thousand despite fewer tests over the weekend.

The government expects new infections will peak late this month or early next month, rising up to 180-thousand by March 2.

With the soaring infections, the number of critical patients rose by 31 to 439. The figure climbed above 400 on Saturday after staying in the 300s for five days.

The ICU occupancy rate for critical COVID-19 patients also rose to 32-point-five percent nationwide as of 5 p.m. Saturday.

Fifty-one deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, with the death toll rising to seven-thousand-405. The fatality rate fell to zero-point-38 percent.

The number of home-treatment patients soared by about 49-thousand to over 450-thousand.