The nation reported about 20-thousand new COVID-19 cases after the government lifted the indoor mask mandate on Monday. 

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said on Tuesday that 19-thousand-629 infections were reported throughout the previous day, including 31 cases from overseas. 

The country's cumulative caseload came to slightly above 30-million-176-thousand.

The daily figure rose by some 12-thousand from the previous day due in part to increased testing after the weekend. The tally was also up by some 73-hundred from a week ago during the Lunar New Year holiday, but compared to two weeks ago the figure has dropped by some 20-thousand.

The number of seriously or critically ill patients is down 15 from a day earlier at 387, falling below 400 for the first time since November 18 last year. 

Monday added 24 deaths, raising the death toll to 33-thousand-444 with the fatality rate unchanged at zero-point-11 percent.