Health authorities reported more than five-thousand new COVID-19 cases for the second straight day, amid growing concerns about the new variant omicron following the detection of the nation 's first cases.   

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said Thursday that five-thousand-266 new infections were confirmed throughout Wednesday, bringing the country's accumulated caseload to 457-thousand-612.

The daily tally hit a fresh high after surpassing five-thousand for the first time the previous day. From a week ago, the figure soared by one-thousand-329. 

More than 41-hundred cases came from the capital region, including two-thousand-262 in Seoul and about 15-hundred in Gyeonggi Province. 

The number of critically ill patients also rose by ten from a day ago to hit a fresh all-time high of 733, with people aged 60 and older accounting for 83-point-six percent.  

The overall death toll rose to three-thousand-705, with additional 47 deaths. The fatality rate remains unchanged from a day earlier at zero-point-81 percent. 

Of the new cases, five-thousand-242 were local transmissions and 24 were from overseas.

The nation reported its first cases of the omicron variant in five people on Wednesday, including a couple who recently returned from a trip to Nigeria.