Chinese mainland reports 7 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases

BEIJING -- The Chinese mainland on Thursday reported 14 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, including seven locally transmitted cases in northeast China's Liaoning Province, the National Health Commission said on Dec 25.

Seven of the new COVID-19 cases arrived from outside the mainland, the commission said in its daily report.

No new suspected cases or deaths related to the disease were reported Thursday.

Nine COVID-19 patients on the Chinese mainland were discharged from hospitals following recovery on Thursday.

By the end of Thursday, a total of 4,181 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,909 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 86,913 by Thursday, including 320 patients still receiving treatment, six of whom were in severe conditions.

A total of 81,959 patients had been discharged following recovery on the mainland, and 4,634 had died as a result of the virus, according to the commission.

There were no suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland on Thursday, and 9,890 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Thursday saw 17 asymptomatic cases newly reported, 15 of whom arrived from outside the mainland. On the same day, one new asymptomatic case was re-categorized as a confirmed case.

A total of 236 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, of whom 195 arrived from outside the mainland.

By the end of Thursday, 8,424 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 135 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 46 cases in the Macao SAR, and 776 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

A total of 7,203 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, 46 in the Macao SAR, and 635 in Taiwan.