Chinese mainland reports 8 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases

BEIJING - The Chinese mainland on Friday reported 22 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which eight were locally transmitted and 14 arrived from outside the mainland, the National Health Commission said on Saturday.

Seven of the locally transmitted cases were reported in Northeast China's Liaoning province, and one in Beijing, the commission said in its daily report.

A new suspected case arriving in Shanghai from outside the mainland was reported Friday, said the commission.

Nine COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland on Friday.

By the end of Friday, a total of 4,287 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 4,015 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 272 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 87,093 by Friday, including 383 patients still receiving treatment.

A total of 82,076 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,634 had died as a result of the virus, according to the commission.

There was one suspected COVID-19 case on the mainland on Friday, and 14,311 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Friday saw 21 asymptomatic cases newly reported, 18 of whom arrived from outside the mainland. Two asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases on the same day.

A total of 280 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, of whom 229 arrived from outside the mainland.

By the end of Friday, 8,888 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 149 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, with 46 cases reported in the Macao SAR, and 802 cases including seven deaths reported in Taiwan.

A total of 7,912 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, while 46 had been discharged in the Macao SAR, and 682 had been discharged in Taiwan.