South Korea reported more than 12-thousand new COVID-19 cases on Monday, doubling from a week ago.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Monday that 12-thousand-693 infections were reported throughout the previous day, including 180 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to over 18 million-524-thousand.

The daily tally dropped by about 77-hundred from a day ago, apparently due to fewer tests over the weekend, but doubled from a week ago. The figure increased three-point-seven times from two weeks ago.

With the rise in infections, the number of critically ill patients is also beginning to increase.

The number of critically or seriously ill patients receiving care at medical facilities rose by four from a day ago to 71, rising above 70 for the first time in three weeks.

Eighteen additional deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 24-thousand-661. 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 nine-point-one percent of ICU beds are currently in use.

The number of COVID-19 patients recovering at home rose to about 108-thousand.