BEIJING — China's National Health Commission said on Dec 6 that it received reports of 18 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Dec 5, one of which was domestically transmitted in Tianjin.

Seventeen cases were imported from outside the mainland and reported in Shanghai, Fujian, Guangdong, Sichuan, Yunnan and Shaanxi, the commission said in its daily report.

Two new suspected cases arriving from outside the mainland were reported in Shanghai, said the report.

No new deaths related to the disease were reported, according to the report.

A total of 12 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland on Dec 5.

By the end of Dec 5, a total of 3,936 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,690 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 246 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 86,619 by Dec 5, including 279 patients still receiving treatment, six of whom were in severe conditions.

A total of 81,706 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 nine suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland as of Dec 5, and 5,540 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Dec 5 also saw two newly reported asymptomatic cases arriving from outside the mainland. On the same day, six imported asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases.

A total of 234 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, including 227 imported cases, the commission said.

By the end of Dec 5, 6,802 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 112 deaths, had been reported in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), while 46 confirmed cases had been reported in Macao SAR, and 693 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

Altogether 5,511 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 574 in Taiwan.