Daily COVID-19 cases hit a record high to surpass 600-thousand for the first time with the number of deaths also soaring to a new high.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Thursday that 621-thousand-328 infections were reported throughout the previous day, including 62 cases from overseas. The total caseload came to eight-million-250-thousand-592.

The daily tally spiked by some 220-thousand just a day after exceeding the 400-thousand mark. The figure increased one-point-nine times from a week ago and over three times from two weeks ago.

Part of the reason for the jump is because authorities began to accept results of rapid antigen testing by medical professionals from Monday. Due to glitches in the new system, some 70-thousand cases were also omitted from Wednesday's tally and included in Thursday's. 

Amid the soaring infections, the number of deaths from the virus jumped by 265 to a new daily high of 429, surpassing 400 for the first time. The death toll came to eleven-thousand-481, with the fatality rate standing at zero-point-14 percent.

The number of critical cases dropped by 85 from a day ago to one-thousand-159, staying above one-thousand for the tenth consecutive day.

The number of home-treatment patients stands at around one-point-92 million as of 12 a.m. Thursday.