New COVID-19 cases jumped above 70-thousand amid signs the latest round of the pandemic may be entering a stagnant period.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Tuesday that 71-thousand-476 new cases were compiled the previous day, including 84 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to above 27 million.

Although the daily tally jumped by nearly 50-thousand from a day ago due to increased testing on Monday, the figure slipped by 13-hundred both from a week ago and two weeks ago.

The number of critically ill hospitalized patients remained unchanged from a day ago at 491.

Forty-one additional deaths were reported, raising the cumulative toll to 30-thousand-454. The fatality rate stands at zero-point-11 percent.