MOSCOW, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia has confirmed 8,764 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising its total number of infections to 308,705, its coronavirus response center said in a statement Wednesday.

The single-day increase has fallen below 10,000 for five consecutive days, the center's data showed.

The death toll grew by a daily record of 135 to 2,972, while 85,392 people have now recovered, including a record of 9,262 over the last 24 hours, said the statement.

Moscow, the country's worst-hit region, confirmed 2,699 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 152,306.

Russia's consumer rights and human well-being watchdog said in a statement Wednesday that 273,953 people had been under medical observation as of Tuesday.

More than 7.5 million lab tests for COVID-19 have been conducted across the country so far, it added.