New COVID-19 cases registered in the 80-thousand range for a second day in a row as it hit the highest level in some three months.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said on Wednesday that 88-thousand-172 infections were reported throughout the previous day, including 69 from overseas, bringing the country's cumulative caseload to nearly 28-point-four million.

Wednesday's figure was up by some 600 from the previous day to reach the highest daily caseload in 98 days. It marks an increase of some 36-hundred from a week ago and 13-thousand from two weeks ago.

The number of daily cases stood at over 66-thousand on average during the past week amid a resurgence in the winter season.

The number of seriously or critically ill patients fell by seven from the previous day to 512, topping 500 for the fourth day.

Tuesday reported 59 deaths, raising the death toll to 31-thousand-549. The fatality rate stands at zero-point-11 percent.