MOSCOW - Russia has confirmed 9,709 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising its total number of infections to 281,752, its coronavirus response center said in a statement Sunday.

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

The death toll grew by 94 to 2,631, while 67,373 people have now recovered, including 4,207 over the last 24 hours, said the statement.

Moscow, the country's worst-hit region, confirmed 3,855 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 142,824.

Russia's consumer rights and human well-being watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said in a statement Sunday that 262,666 people had been under medical observation as of Saturday.

More than 6.9 million lab tests for COVID-19 have been conducted across the country so far, it added.

Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova said earlier this week that the coronavirus situation appeared to be stabilizing in the country.