Daily COVID-19 cases fell below 60-thousand on Monday, apparently due to fewer tests over the weekend, but it marked the largest Monday tally in 17 weeks.  

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said Monday that 55-thousand-292 infections were confirmed throughout the previous day, including 482 from overseas.

The tally dropped by some 50-thousand from a day ago, plunging below 100-thousand after staying above six figures for six straight days. However, it marks the largest figure for Monday since April 11.

The figure increased one-point-24 times from a week ago and one-point-54 times from two weeks ago, with a slight rise in the on-week increase.

The country's cumulative caseload came to about 20 million-544-thousand.

The number of critically ill patients rose by 27 from a day ago to 324, climbing back above 300 in two days.

Twenty nine deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 25-thousand-292. The fatality rate dropped to zero-point-12 percent from zero-point-13 percent. 

The occupancy rate of hospital beds for seriously ill COVID-19 patients nationwide rose to 40-point-three percent, up three-point-three percentage points from a day earlier.