BEIJING — China's National Health Commission said on Jan 6 that it received reports of 32 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Jan 5, of which 23 were locally transmitted and nine were imported.

Of the locally transmitted cases, 20 were reported in Hebei and one each in Beijing, Liaoning and Heilongjiang, said the commission in its daily report.

Two new suspected cases were reported, including one arriving from outside the mainland.

No new deaths related to the disease were reported.

A total of 21 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland on Jan 5.

By the end of Jan 5, a total of 4,348 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 4,063 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 285 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 87,215 by Jan 5, including 443 patients still receiving treatment.

A total of 82,138 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,634 had died of the virus, according to the report.

There were three suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland as of Jan 5.

Jan 5 also saw 64 newly reported asymptomatic cases on the mainland. On the same day, eight asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed ones.

A total of 360 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, of which 246 were imported ones, the commission said.

By the end of Jan 5, 9,049 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 153 deaths, had been reported in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), while 46 confirmed cases had been reported in Macao SAR, and 817 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

Altogether 8,127 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 697 had been discharged from hospitals in Taiwan.