South Korea's new COVID-19 cases spiked to over 71,000 on Tuesday amid concerns that cases could sharply rise again ahead of the winter months.
The country reported 71,476 new COVID-19 infections, including 84 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 27,031,319, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
Tuesday's tally sharply increased from the 22,327 reported Monday when infection cases are generally low due to fewer tests over the weekend.
But it is smaller than the 72,860 tallied a week ago and the 72,864 from two weeks ago. The corresponding number was 62,259 three weeks ago.
The South Korean government has voiced concerns over the virus's possible resurgence during the cold months when people spend more time indoors and the virus tends to spread more quickly
The KDCA reported 41 deaths from COVID-19, raising the death toll to 30,454. The number of critically ill patients came to 491, unchanged from the previous day. (Yonhap)