MOSCOW, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia has confirmed 10,028 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising its total number of infections to 242,271, its coronavirus response center said in a statement Wednesday.

The single-day increase has been over 10,000 for 11 consecutive days, the center's data showed.

The death toll grew by 96 to 2,212, while 48,003 people have recovered, including 4,491 over the last 24 hours, the statement said.

Moscow, the country's worst-hit region, confirmed 4,703 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 126,004.

Russia's consumer rights and human well-being watchdog said in a statement Wednesday that 259,295 people had been under medical observation as of Tuesday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was reported Tuesday to have contracted COVID-19 and been hospitalized.

Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova and Construction Minister Vladimir Yakushev were confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus.