BEIJING — The Chinese mainland on Dec 29 reported 24 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, including seven locally transmitted cases and 17 arriving from outside the mainland, the National Health Commission said on Dec 30.

Five of the locally transmitted cases were reported in Northeast China's Liaoning province, and one each in Beijing and Heilongjiang, the commission said in its daily report.

No new suspected cases or deaths related to the disease were reported on Dec 29, said the commission.

Sixteen COVID-19 patients on the Chinese mainland were discharged from hospitals following recovery on Dec 29.

By the end of Dec 29, a total of 4,247 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,978 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 269 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 87,027 by Dec 29, including 356 patients still receiving treatment.

A total of 82,037 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 29, and 12,846 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Dec 29 saw 17 asymptomatic cases newly reported, 10 of whom arrived from outside the mainland. Four asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases on the same day.

A total of 269 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, of whom 219 arrived from outside the mainland.

By the end of Dec 29, 8,724 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 143 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 46 cases in the Macao SAR, and 795 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

A total of 7,616 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, 46 in the Macao SAR, and 661 in Taiwan.