BEIJING — China's National Health Commission said on Dec 15 that it received reports of 17 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Dec 14, including three domestically transmitted cases and 14 imported ones.

Of the domestically transmitted cases, two were reported in Heilongjiang province and one in Sichuan province, the commission said in its daily report.

No new suspected cases or new deaths related to the disease were reported.

A total of 18 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland on Dec 14.

By the end of Dec 14, a total of 4,049 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,787 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 262 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 86,758 by Dec 14, including 312 patients still receiving treatment.

A total of 81,812 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 two suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland as of Dec 14, and 6,852 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Dec 14 also saw eight newly reported asymptomatic cases on the mainland. On the same day, three asymptomatic cases, including two import cases, were re-categorized as confirmed ones.

A total of 196 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, out of which 183 were imported cases, the commission said.

By the end of Dec 14, 7,623 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 120 deaths, had been reported in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), while 46 confirmed cases had been reported in Macao SAR, and 740 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

Altogether 6,266 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 606 in Taiwan.