The number of active Covid-19 cases in the country climbed to more than 80, the first time in 10 days.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said seven new cases were recorded today, bringing the total cases to 8,725.

There are now 83 active cases following one recovery. Some 8,520 people have been cured to date and 122 have died.

Six out of the seven new cases were imported, involving two Malaysians and four permanent residents, Noor Hisham said in a statement. 

The sole local transmission was from a new group of infections referred to as the "Novgorod cluster".

The cluster was named after Novgorod in Russia as it started from a Malaysian who returned from there.

"The first case in the cluster involved a Malaysian (Case 8,673) who returned to Malaysia from Russia on July 5. A Covid-19 screening at the international arrival gate found the person was Covid-19 positive and was admitted to Sungai Buloh Hospital.

"The second person in the cluster is Case 8,718 who is a friend of Case 8,673. They were on the same flight.

"The Covid-19 screening of Case 8,718 at the international arrival gate was negative but the patient started to experience fever and respiratory symptoms on July 7. A repeat screening found the patient to be Covid-19 positive," he said.

Case 8,718 subsequently spread Covid-19 to the patient's father who became Case 8,724, which is one of today's new cases.

The father, along with three other family members, had greeted Case 8,718 at the airport and drove the patient back home to Malacca.

Noor Hisham added 14 other close contacts were screened and they have tested negative for the coronavirus. 

He said contact tracing activities are still ongoing. 

Of the 83 Covid-19 patients under treatment, four are in the intensive care unit (ICU), up from three yesterday.

Three out of the four ICU patients need ventilators to breathe.

Noor Hisham advised returnees undergoing home quarantine to take measures to minimise the risk of infecting their family members at home.