This file photo taken on Nov. 20, shows a man taking a virus test at a community health center in Seoul's eastern district of Songpa. Yonhap

Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed below 50,000 on Sunday amid lingering concerns over a surge in winter.

The country reported 46,564 new COVID-19 infections, including 69 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 27,308,090, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

Sunday's number decreased slightly from the previous week's 47,010, possibly reflecting a pause in the spread.

Korea added 60 deaths from COVID-19, putting the death toll at 30,729, the KDCA said.

The number of critically ill patients stood at 460, up from 442 tallied the previous day.

Health authorities have called for vigilance against the virus, encouraging the public to get upgraded booster shots, citing the emergence of new variants and increased indoor activities in the winter. (Yonhap)