The number of severe COVID-19 patients hit a record high of 549 amid a continued surge in infections. 

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said Tuesday that two-thousand-699 new infections were detected throughout Monday, raising the country's cumulative caseload to 420-thousand-950. 

The daily tally dropped by nearly 130 from the previous day, but marks the largest figure for a Tuesday.

Of the new cases, two-thousand-685 were local transmissions and 14 were from overseas. The capital region accounted for 76-point-six percent of local infections, reporting two-thousand-58 cases. Non-capital areas added 627 infections.

The number of severe cases jumped by 34 from the previous day to a record high of 549. The figure has been hovering around 500 for a week.  

The death toll rose to three-thousand-328 with 30 additional deaths. The fatality rate stands at zero-point-79 percent.