BEIJING — China's National Health Commission said on Dec 10 that it received reports of 12 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Dec 9, one of which was locally transmitted in Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Eleven cases were imported from outside the mainland, the commission said in its daily report.

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

No new deaths related to the disease were reported.

A total of 11 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland on Dec 9.

By the end of Dec 9, a total of 3,980 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,738 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 242 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 86,673 by Dec 9, including 285 patients still receiving treatment.

A total of 81,754 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 three suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland as of Dec 9, and 6,659 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Dec 9 also saw five newly reported asymptomatic cases on the mainland, all arriving from outside the mainland. On the same day, two imported asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed ones.

A total of 201 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, out of which 193 were imported cases, the commission said.

By the end of Dec 9, 7,179 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 114 deaths, had been reported in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), while 46 confirmed cases had been reported in Macao SAR, and 720 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

Altogether 5,783 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 585 in Taiwan.