Daily COVID-19 cases reached a record high, surpassing 340-thousand for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic in January 2020.

Health authorities said on Wednesday that 342-thousand-446 additional people tested positive throughout the previous day, raising the cumulative total to five-point-21 million.

The record high tally comes a week after the nation broke the 200-thousand mark in daily cases.

The number of serious and critical cases rose by 80, with one-thousand-87 patients now in serious or critical condition. 

An additional 158 people succumbed to the virus, bringing the total death toll to nine-thousand-440. The fatality rate stands at zero-point-18 percent.

As of 12:00 a.m. Wednesday, one-point-21 million people were being treated at home, while 59-point-one percent of ICU beds for COVID-19 patients were in operation.