Daily COVID-19 cases surpassed 260-thousand for the first time to hit a new high on Friday. 

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Friday that 266-thousand-853 cases were compiled throughout the previous day, including 82 cases from overseas. The total caseload came to three million-958-thousand-326.

The daily figure fell below 200-thousand on Thursday but soared by some 70-thousand to hit a new high on Friday. The figure increased one-point-six times from a week ago and two-point-four times from two weeks ago.

Health authorities earlier expected the figure to surpass 230-thousand next Wednesday on the day of the presidential election, but the figure has already exceeded that estimate.

Taking into consideration both the recent epidemiological data and the economic distress of small business owners, the government decided to relax the 10 p.m. curfew for restaurants, cafes and other multi-use facilities.

Amid the soaring infections, the number of patients in critical care rose by 31 to 797, staying above 700 for the fifth consecutive day.

More than 50 percent of hospital beds nationwide for critical COVID-19 patients were occupied as of 5 p.m. Thursday.

The number of deaths from the virus rose to a new daily high of 186, raising the death toll to eight-thousand-580. The fatality rate stands at zero-point-22 percent.

The number of home-treatment patients rose by some 68-thousand to over 925-thousand.