Daily COVID-19 cases hovered slightly above 100-thousand on Wednesday amid gradual signs of easing of the latest pandemic wave in the nation.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Wednesday that 103-thousand-961 infections were confirmed throughout the previous day, including 458 from overseas, bringing the country's cumulative caseload to over 23 million-246-thousand.

The daily tally dropped by some 12-thousand from a day ago and declined by around 35-thousand and 77-thousand from a week ago and two weeks earlier, respectively. 

Imported cases exceeded 400 after remaining below the mark for six days. It remains to be seen how Seoul’s plan to abolish advance testing requirements on all international arrivals from Saturday will impact the trend regarding overseas transmissions.

The number of critically ill hospitalized patients fell by 22 from the previous day to 569, remaining above 500 for the eighth consecutive day.

Seventy-five deaths were newly reported, up four from a day ago. The overall death toll came to 26-thousand-764 with the fatality rate remaining at zero-point-12 percent.

The occupancy rate of ICU beds for COVID-19 patients nationwide came to 38-point-six percent, down by three-point-eight percentage points from a day ago.