BEIJING — The National Health Commission said on Dec 4 that it received reports of 17 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Dec 3, two of which were domestically transmitted in Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Fifteen cases were imported from outside the mainland and reported in Shanghai, Fujian, Henan, Shandong and Guangdong, the commission said in its daily report.

Shanghai also reported one new suspected case on Dec 3, who arrived from outside the mainland, the report read. No new deaths related to the disease were reported.

A total of 12 COVID-19 patients were newly discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland on Dec 3.

By the end of Dec 3, a total of 3,904 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,666 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 238 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 86,584 by Dec 3, including 271 patients still receiving treatment, five of whom were in severe conditions.

A total of 81,679 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,634 had died of the virus, according to the report.

There were eight suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland by Dec 3, and 7,077 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Dec 3 also saw 12 newly reported asymptomatic cases, all arriving from outside the mainland. On the same day, no asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases.

A total of 249 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, including 243 from outside the mainland, the commission said.

By the end of Dec 3, 6,589 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 111 deaths, had been reported in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), while 46 confirmed cases had been reported in Macao SAR, and 686 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

Altogether 5,423 COVID-19 patients in Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, while 46 had been discharged from hospitals in Macao SAR, and 572 in Taiwan.