BEIJING — China's National Health Commission said on Dec 23 that it received reports of 15 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Dec 22, including one locally transmitted case and 14 imported ones.

The locally transmitted case was reported in Liaoning province, said the commission in its daily report.

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

A total of 19 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland on Dec 22.

By the end of Dec 22, a total of 4,163 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,883 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 280 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 86,882 by Dec 22, including 320 patients still receiving treatment.

A total of 81,928 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,634 had died of the virus, according to the report.

No suspected COVID-19 case was observed on the mainland as of Dec 22.

Dec 22 also saw 14 newly reported asymptomatic cases on the mainland. On the same day, one asymptomatic case was re-categorized as confirmed one.

A total of 219 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, of which 179 were imported ones, the commission said.

By the end of Dec 22, 8,300 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 132 deaths, had been reported in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), while 46 confirmed cases had been reported in Macao SAR, and 770 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

Altogether 6,995 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 632 in Taiwan.