New COVID-19 cases below 400,000; deaths hit all-time high as Omicron tightens grip

People line up for a COVID-19 test at a screening center near Seoul Station in the center of the capital, March 23. Yonhap

Korea reported nearly 400,000 new COVID-19 cases and record high deaths Wednesday as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus tightened its grip on the country, having infected nearly 20 percent of the 52 million population.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 395,598 new infections as of midnight, raising the total caseload to 10,822,836.

While the daily tally was a sharp drop from the previous day's 490,881, which was the second-highest daily number, deaths hit a new record of 470 for a total of 13,902, and a fatality rate of 0.13 percent, the KDCA said.

The number of critically ill patients stood at 1,081, down three from the previous day.

Korea is experiencing the worst wave of the pandemic, surpassing the grim milestone of 10 million infections earlier this week. Nearly 9 million cases have been reported since early February. The daily caseload surged to an all-time high of 621,205 last Wednesday.

The spread of the virus is feared to continue unabated amid relaxed social distancing rules. Earlier this week, the government eased some of its virus-related regulations to support the retail and service sectors bearing the brunt of the pandemic's financial impact. (Yonhap)