Health authorities reported nearly four-thousand new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with the number of critical cases and deaths both climbing to new highs.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Sunday that three-thousand-928 new infections were confirmed throughout Saturday, raising the country's accumulated caseload to 440-thousand-896.

The daily tally is hovering around four-thousand for the fifth consecutive day since it surpassed the figure for the first time on Wednesday.

A record high 56 new COVID-linked deaths were reported, bringing the overall death toll to three-thousand-548. The fatality rate stands at zero-point-eight percent.

The number of critically ill patients also rose to an all-time high of 647, setting a new record for the sixth straight day.

Of the new cases, three-thousand-893 were local transmissions and 35 were from overseas.

The capital region accounted for 77-point-eight percent of local infections, reporting three-thousand-27 cases. Non-capital areas added 866 infections.

Amid the continued rise in critical patients and deaths, the government plans to hold a meeting on Sunday to assess the virus situation and response measures.