SEOUL, South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases, serious cases and deaths hit record highs Saturday as health authorities strengthen virus regulations amid fears over the spread of the omicron variant.
The country added 5,352 new COVID-19 infections, including 5,327 local infections, raising the total caseload to 467,907, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Saturday's tally marks the highest number of daily COVID-19 cases since the country reported its first one in January 2020 and exceeds the previous record of 5,226 reported Thursday.
The number of critically ill patients was 752, up 16 from Friday, and the death toll came to 3,809, up 70 from a day earlier. The fatality rate stood at 0.81 percent.
The country also added three confirmed cases of the omicron variant, increasing the total to nine
Source: Yonhap News Agency