BEIJING — A total of 20,659 patients infected with the novel coronavirus had been discharged from hospital after recovery by the end of Feb 21, Chinese health authority said on Feb 22.

Feb 21 saw 2,393 people walk out of hospital after recovery, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.

By the end of Feb 21, a total of 2,345 people had died of the disease and 76,288 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in China.