KUALA LUMPUR: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Malaysia continues to rise, with 1,854 cases reported in the last 24 hours compared to yesterday’s 1,285, while five more fatalities were also reocorded.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the latest development brought the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in the country to 357,607, with 14,805 still active.

He said 20 of the cases today were imported, with the rest being local transmissions.

"The import cases involve five citizens and 15 non-citizens, while the local cases involve 1,618 citizens and 216 non-citizens.

"A total of 1,247 recoveries were also reported today, bringing the total number of patients cured so far to 341,489," he said in a statement today

-- BERNAMA