BEIJING — The Chinese mainland on Dec 30 reported 25 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, including nine locally transmitted cases and 16 arriving from outside the mainland, the National Health Commission said on Dec 31.

Five of the locally transmitted cases were reported in Northeast China's Liaoning province, and two 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 30, said the commission.

Thirteen COVID-19 patients on the Chinese mainland were discharged from hospitals following recovery on Dec 30. 

By the end of Dec 30, a total of 4,263 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,990 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 273 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 87,052 by Dec 30, including 368 patients still receiving treatment.

A total of 82,050 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 30, and 13,615 close contacts remained under medical observation. 

Dec 30 saw eight asymptomatic cases newly reported, four of whom arrived from outside the mainland. Five asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases on the same day.

A total of 267 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, of whom 216 arrived from outside the mainland.

By the end of Dec 30, 8,778 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 147 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 46 cases in the Macao SAR, and 797 cases including seven deaths in Taiwan.

A total of 7,722 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, 46 in the Macao SAR, and 666 in Taiwan.