BEIJING — China's National Health Commission said on Jan 3 that it received reports of 24 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Jan 2, including eight locally transmitted cases and 16 imported ones.

Four locally transmitted cases were reported in the province of Heilongjiang, two in Liaoning, and one in Beijing and Hebei each, said the commission in its daily report.

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

A total of 12 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland on Jan 2.

By the end of Jan 2, a total of 4,303 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 4,024 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 279 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 87,117 by Jan 2, including 395 patients still receiving treatment.

A total of 82,088 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 Jan 2.