BEIJING — The Chinese mainland on Dec 28 reported 27 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 15 locally transmitted cases and 12 arriving from outside the mainland, the National Health Commission said Dec 29.

Eight of the locally transmitted cases were reported in Northeast China's Liaoning province, and seven in Beijing, the commission said in its daily report.

No new suspected cases or deaths related to the disease were reported on Dec 28, said the commission.

Eighteen COVID-19 patients on the Chinese mainland were discharged from hospitals following recovery on Dec 28.

By the end of Dec 28, a total of 4,230 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,965 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 265 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 87,003 by Dec 28, including 348 patients still receiving treatment.

A total of 82,021 patients had been discharged from hospitals 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 28, and 11,909 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Dec 28 saw eight asymptomatic cases newly reported, six of whom arrived from outside the mainland. Seven asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases on the same day.

A total of 262 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, of whom 215 arrived from outside the mainland.

By the end of Dec 28, 8,671 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 141 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 46 cases in the Macao SAR, and 793 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

A total of 7,526 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, 46 in the Macao SAR, and 654 in Taiwan.