New COVID-19 cases have registered in the 40-thousands for a second day amid concerns of another wave in the winter.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Wednesday that 40-thousand-842 cases were newly compiled the previous day, including 81 overseas infections, bringing the total caseload to around 25-million-396-thousand.

The daily tally dropped by nearly three-thousand from a day ago, but stayed above 40-thousand for the second consecutive day. The infections increased by some eleven-thousand from a week ago and about ten-thousand from two weeks ago.

The figure posted on-week gains for the sixth consecutive day, with some medical experts warning that a new wave of infections may begin in November or December.

The number of seriously or critically ill patients is up by 17 from the previous day to 242.

Tuesday reported 26 deaths, raising the death toll to 29-thousand-43 with the fatality rate at zero-point-11 percent.