The nation added more than 20-thousand new COVID-19 cases for the second straight day.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Thursday that 20-thousand-146 infections were reported throughout Wednesday, including 23 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to over 31 million-232-thousand.

The daily tally remained above 20-thousand for the second consecutive day after surpassing the mark on Wednesday for the first time in about three months since February 1. The figure rose by some 58-hundred from a week ago and by some six-thousand from two weeks ago.

The daily average for the past week was tallied at 14-thousand-868.

The number of hospitalized patients for intensive care dropped by four from a day ago to 138.

The death toll climbed by seven to stand at 34-thousand-512, with the overall fatality rate remaining at zero-point-11 percent.