South Korea's new COVID-19 cases rose over 87,000 Tuesday, a significant hike from the previous day but a similar level reported last week.

The country confirmed 87,596 new coronavirus infections, including 66 from overseas, bringing the total to 28,772,196, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said.

Daily coronavirus case numbers tend to be lower on Monday due to fewer tests over the weekend and go up during weekdays.

The country confirmed 25,545 new cases Monday, 87,536 last Tuesday and 86,826 on Dec. 13.

The KDCA reported 50 more COVID-19 deaths, bringing the death toll to 31,882. The number of critically ill patients stood at 592, up nine from the previous day.

The South Korean government plans to gradually remove the indoor mask mandate, the last remaining pandemic restriction, as part of efforts to move on from the pandemic.

The health authorities predicted the new policy could be implemented around late January if the pandemic is deemed manageable with a stable number of new infections and a downtrend in critically ill cases and deaths.

The KDCA, however, still recommended mask wearing indoors as a precautionary measure. (Yonhap)