BEIJING — China's National Health Commission said on Dec 22 that it received reports of 15 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Dec 21, including 13 imported ones and two locally transmitted ones.

The two locally transmitted cases were reported in Liaoning province, the commission's daily report showed.

No new suspected cases or new deaths related to the disease were reported on Dec 21.

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

By the end of Dec 21, a total of 4,149 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,864 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 86,867 by Dec 21, including 324 patients still receiving treatment.

A total of 81,909 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,634 had died of the virus, according to the report.

There was one suspected COVID-19 case on the mainland as of Dec 21, and 7,850 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Dec 21 also saw 17 newly reported asymptomatic cases on the mainland. On the same day, two asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed ones.

A total of 214 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, out of which 182 were imported cases, the commission said.

By the end of Dec 21, 8,237 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 131 deaths, had been reported in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), while 46 confirmed cases had been reported in Macao SAR, and 766 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

Altogether 6,910 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 627 in Taiwan.