The government said the ratio of new COVID-19 infections that can be traced to contact with another confirmed individual case rose to an all-time high of 46 percent.

Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol said on Tuesday in a government meeting that 46 percent of new cases were infected through individual contact at small gatherings of family members or acquaintances.

The minister said the ratio is the highest since the nation started compiling related data in August last year, adding the country is expected to report new cases in the lower 500s on Tuesday.

Jeon said that the daily figure slightly declined, but virus concerns remain high, citing the high ratio. 

He also said that the nation's reproduction rate for COVID-19 came to point-99 last week, while the figure for the greater metro area marked one-point-03, surpassing one yet again after three weeks.