New COVID-19 cases in South Korea nearly doubled in a week to climb above 18-thousand on Tuesday, showing a clear upturn in infections.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Tuesday that 18-thousand-147 infections were reported throughout the previous day, including 171 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to about 18 million-414-thousand.

The daily tally nearly tripled from a day ago and increased by some eight-thousand from a week ago. The figure also marks the largest in 40 days since May 26, when it posted 18-thousand-805. The tally is steadily rising after falling to three-thousand-423 on June 27. 

The number of critically or seriously ill patients receiving care at medical facilities dropped by two from a day ago to 54, remaining below 100 since June 12.

Two additional deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 24-thousand-576. The overall fatality rate remains at zero-point-13 percent.

Nearly 15-hundred hospital beds are set aside for COVID-19 patients across the nation and just six-point-eight percent of ICU beds are currently in use.