BEIJING — The Chinese mainland on Dec 23 reported 17 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, including six locally transmitted cases in Northeast China's Liaoning province, the National Health Commission said on Dec 24.

Eleven of the new COVID-19 cases arrived from outside of the mainland, including six in Shanghai, two in Sichuan, and one each in Liaoning, Henan and Guangdong, the commission said in its daily report.

No new suspected cases or deaths related to COVID-19 were reported on Dec 23.

Twenty-two COVID-19 patients on the Chinese mainland were discharged from hospitals following recovery on Dec 23. 

By the end of Dec 23, a total of 4,174 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,900 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 274 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 86,899 by Dec 23, including 315 patients still receiving treatment, six of whom were in severe conditions.

A total of 81,950 patients had been discharged following recovery on the mainland, and 4,634 had died as a result of the virus, according to the commission.

There were no suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland on Dec 23, and 7,488 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Dec 23 saw 19 asymptomatic cases newly reported, 14 of them arriving from outside the mainland. On the same day, six new asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases.

A total of 229 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, of whom 187 arrived from outside the mainland.