The number of COVID-19 cases reached 602 in Myanmar on Thursday while local transmissions are increasing, according to a release from the Health and Sports Ministry, Xinhua reported.

Sixteen laboratory confirmed cases, including four imported cases, were reported on Thursday night.

Of the newly confirmed cases, eight patients are from Rakhine state, the release said.

According to the ministry's latest figures, a total of 149,861 samples have been tested for COVID-19 so far and 7,343 patients are under investigation at present while 349 patients recovered from the disease so far.