South Korea confirmed 13 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Monday, showing a slight increase from the single-digit daily tally it reported a day earlier, health authorities said.

With the new patients -- seven from overseas and six domestic -- the country’s total COVID-19 cases rose to 10,674, while two more people died, putting the death toll at 236 as of Monday 12:01 a.m., according to the Korea Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

The number of people who have recovered and been discharged from isolation hiked by 72 to 8,114.

“It has been three months since we saw our first confirmed (virus) patients. … The number of newly confirmed patients that surpassed 900 at one point has dropped sharply,” said Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyung during a daily coronavirus briefing Monday.

“Our experience of the past three months has given us confidence that we can win the fight against COVID-19. But it has also reminded us that the fight will not end easily given its nature to infiltrate shortcomings.”

An eased social distancing campaign that allows resumption of services at the country’s four most frequently used facilities -- religious facilities, after-school private academies, bars and gyms -- provided they adhere to virus prevention guidelines is to take effect until May 5.

By Kim Bo-gyung (lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)