This photo shows a COVID-19 testing center in Seoul's Dongdaemun Ward, Jan. 9. Newsis

Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to the lowest Thursday tally in 11 weeks, with rising imported cases putting health authorities on high alert.

The country reported 43,953 new COVID-19 infections, including 135 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 29,698,043, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

The tally marked the lowest for any Thursday since Oct. 27, when the country reported 34,972 new cases.

The country added 76 COVID-19 deaths, bringing the death toll to 32,821. The number of critically ill patients came to 510, down 30 from the previous day, the KDCA said.

The Korean government has ramped up monitoring for overseas visitors amid the recent surge in infections in China following the abrupt lifting of its zero-COVID policy in December.

Of the 135 new cases of overseas infections reported Thursday, 90, or 66.6 percent, were from China, according to the KDCA. (Yonhap)