Another case of the new coronavirus was confirmed at the foreign ministry building in central Seoul on Monday, officials said.

A ministry employee tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day after visiting a guesthouse in the southern resort island of Jeju last week, where a cluster infection has been reported.

About 10 people who came into contact with the patient went into self-quarantine, and the 9th floor of the building where the employee works was disinfected.

The case raised the number of infections reported at the ministry building to four. Two other cases were reported from the nearby main government building.

South Korea has been struggling to contain a resurgence in the number of the new coronavirus cases with sporadic cluster infections reported across the country.

On Monday, the country announced 248 new COVID-19 cases over the preceding 24 hours, raising the total caseload to 19,947. (Yonhap)