South Korea reports 586 new cases of COVID-19, tally tops 3700

South Korea confirmed 586 more cases of the COVID-19 on Sunday, raising the total number of infections in the country to 3,736.

The country also reported one more death from the virus on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 18. Fourteen patients are currently in critical condition, indicating a further increase in the death toll.

The virus infection soared in the past 11 days, with 3,119 new cases reported between February 19 and February 29. The country has raised its four-tier virus alert to the highest "red" level.

The total number of infections in Daegu and North Gyeongsang province increased to 2,705 and 555 respectively. Daegu, a city with 2.4 million population, has become the epicenter of the outbreak as the biggest cluster of mass infections was found in the city.

The Daegu cluster was closely linked to the church services of a homegrown minor religious sect, called Sincheonji. As of Sunday morning, 2,113 cases -- almost 60 percent of the total -- were tied to the worship services.

Out of around 1,260 confirmed patients who were untraceable to the source of infection, most of the patients were believed to have been linked to the Sincheonji church services, the health authorities estimated.The Sincheonji worship services are known for the closedness and crowdedness as the members attend the services in a closed space and sitting on the floor side by side.The KCDC said the country's infection spread in specific clusters such as Sincheonji, noting that it will focus on the testing of the Sincheonji spread.The health authorities completed the test on about 1,300 members of the Sincheonji Daegu branch, who developed fever and other symptoms.