South Korea sees spike in COVID cases

South Korea witnessed another spike in COVID-19 cases as the country reported over 18,000 new cases in the past 24 hours, local media said on Tuesday.

The new cases have risen to 18,147 from 6,253 on Monday, bringing the total caseload to over 18.41 million, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The nationwide infections declined in recent weeks after they reached a peak of over 620,000 in mid-March when the country was hit by the omicron variant.

With two more fatalities, the death toll also raised to 24,576, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

Health authorities have urged people to wear masks despite the easing of social distancing restrictions last month.