Daily COVID-19 cases fell to the 300-thousand range but the number of critical cases rose to a new high.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Thursday that 320-thousand-743 infections were reported throughout the previous day, including 24 case from overseas. The total caseload came to 13-million-95-thousand-631.

The daily figure dropped by nearly 104-thousand from a day ago to fall below 400-thousand.

The figure decreased by about 75-thousand from a week ago and over 300-thousand from two weeks ago, indicating the omicron wave is beginning to decline.
 
Despite the drops in infections, the number of patients in critical care rose to a new high of one-thousand-315, remaining above one-thousand for the 24th consecutive day. 

There were 375 deaths from the virus, down 57 from the previous day. The death toll rose to 16-thousand-230, with the fatality rate standing at zero-point-12 percent.

The occupancy rate of ICU beds for critically ill patients nationwide dropped by two-point-two percentage points to 64-point-two percent as of 12 a.m. Thursday.

The number of home-treatment patients rose by about 20-thousand to one-point-73 million.