New COVID-19 cases registered in the 70-thousand range on Thursday, with the number of critical cases hitting the highest level in some three months.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said on Thursday that 75-thousand-744 infections were reported throughout the previous day, including 73 from overseas, bringing the country's cumulative caseload to about 28 million-466-thousand.

The daily tally is down by some 12-thousand from the previous day, but rose by 56-hundred from a week ago and ten-thousand from two weeks ago.

The number of daily cases stood at over 67-thousand on average during the past week amid a resurgence in the winter season.

The number of seriously or critically ill patients rose by 35 from the previous day to 547, the highest in 100 days since September 13.

Wednesday reported 62 deaths, raising the death toll to 31-thousand-611. The fatality rate stands at zero-point-11 percent.