KUALA LUMPUR: After breaching the 9000 mark for three consecutive days, the number of new COVID-19 cases in the country dropped to 8,574 today, bringing the cumulative total to 844,870.

In his tweet, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said Selangor still has the highest daily tally with 4,308 new cases, followed by Negeri Sembilan (794); Kuala Lumpur (609); Kedah (415); Melaka (411); and Johor (407).

Pahang recorded 314 cases; Sabah (298); Sarawak (235), Penang (231); Perak (168); Terengganu (140); Kelantan (133); Labuan (66), Putrajaya (45) while no cases were recorded in Perlis.

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said in a statement that of the 8,574 new cases, 8,534 were local transmissions and 40 were imported infections.

He said 5,041 recoveries were reported today, bringing the cumulative figure for recovered cases to 747,338.

"Active cases now stand at 91,272 while the number of COVID-19 patients being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) is 964, with 452 requiring ventilators," he added.

He said 102 more fatalities were recorded, involving 97 Malaysians and five foreigners, raising the death toll from the pandemic to 6,260.

He also said 16 clusters were detected today, with eight in the community, five at workplaces and three linked to high-risk groups.

The community clusters are Kampung Pulau Kundur, Jalan Dusun Langgar and Lorong Kubur Maras in Kelantan; Tanjung Gelam and Tok Molor in Terengganu; Rantau Kesidang in Pahang; Ketior Dalam in Perak; and Kampung Kendaie in Sarawak.

The workplace clusters are Resort Sepang and Industri Jalan Utas di Selangor; Jalan Cendana Construction Site in Kuala Lumpur; Lorong Sentosa Satu in Negeri Sembilan and Putrajaya 15 in Putrajaya.

The three clusters linked to high-risk groups are Bayam Tiga in Selangor; Taman Utama Satu in Johor and Seksyen 14 Jalan Bayam in Kelantan.

-- BERNAMA