KUALA LUMPUR: The number of new COVID-19 cases in the country continues to rise, going above the 8,000-mark for the first time with 8,290 cases.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a post on Twitter today said this brought the total number of cases in the country to date to 549,514.

Selangor remained the highest contributor to the tally with 2,052 cases, but Kelantan showed a sharp increase with 851 cases, followed by Kuala Lumpur (830), Johor (762), Sarawak (698), Kedah (544).

Negeri Sembilan (520), Penang (421), Perak (405), Melaka (380), Sabah (308), Pahang (254), Terengganu (207), Putrajaya (44), Perlis (eight) and Labuan (six).

In a media statement, Dr Noor Hisham said 61 fatalities were recorded overnight, taking the death toll to 2,552.

Selangor again recorded the highest number of death with 19 cases, followed by Negeri Sembilan (eight),  Kuala Lumpur (six), Kedah (five), Johor and Sarawak (four), Perak and Melaka (three), Penang, Kelantan, Labuan and Terengganu (two) and Sabah (one).

Another 4,814 patients have recovered today, bringing the cumulative recoveries to 474,139, while the active cases now stood at 72,823, he said.

According to Dr Noor Hisham, 808 patients were being treated at the Intensive Care Unit, with 403 of them requiring ventilator support.

Meanwhile, 21 new clusters were detected today involving workplaces (six), community (six), religious (four), education (two) and one each in higher educational institution, detention centre and high-risk group.

The workplace clusters are Jalan Satu Olak and Perusahaan Satu Batu Caves in Selangor; Kemumin (Kelantan); Tapak Bina Wangsa Perdana (Kuala Lumpur); Jalan Hospital Tampoi (Johor) and Perusahaan Valdor (Penang).

The community clusters are Persiaran Sepang Sebelas (Selangor); Kampung Chekok and Kampung Teliar (Kelantan); Dah Emas Suria (Kedah); Jalan Padi (Negeri Sembilan) and Tanjung Kepah (Perak).

The religious clusters are Kampung Chubadak and Seksyen Dua in Kuala Lumpur; Jalan Kampung Bukit (Penang) and Jalan Seroja Kepis (Negeri Sembilan).

The education clusters are Sri Gombak Lapan (Selangor) and Dah Pinang (Kedah); while the higher-education cluster is Bukit Ilmu (Kelantan); high-risk group (Tawar Empat in Johor) and detention centre (DTI Bukit Jalil 2 in Kuala Lumpur).

-- BERNAMA