New cases remain below 170,000 for 3rd day; critically ill patient numbers rise

People wait in line to undergo a COVID-19 test at a testing site temporarily set up at a public health center in Seoul, Feb. 24. Reuters-Yonhap

Korea's daily COVID-19 infections stayed below 170,000 for the third straight day Saturday, but the number of critically ill patients continued to rise at a fast pace with the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 163,566 new cases, including 163,414 local ones, raising the total caseload to 2,994,841.

The daily tally slightly decreased from the 166,209 reported for Friday. Daily infections exceeded the 100,000 mark for the first time a week earlier and hit a record high of 171,442, Tuesday.

The increase in cases has raised the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients to 662, up from the previous day's 643.

Forty-nine more deaths were recorded for an accumulated toll of 7,944, and a fatality rate of 0.27 percent, according to the KDCA.

The government said the current wave is expected to peak at some 250,000 daily cases in mid-March as the highly contagious Omicron variant rages across the country. (Yonhap)