(Yicai Global) March 9 -- Chinese health authority said today it received reports of 40 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 22 deaths yesterday on the Chinese mainland.

Among the deaths, 21 were in Hubei province and one in Guangdong province, according to the National Health Commission.

Also yesterday, four imported cases of novel coronavirus infection were reported in Gansu province. By the end of yesterday, 67 imported cases had been reported, said the commission.

Meanwhile, 60 new suspected cases were reported and 1,535 people were discharged from hospital yesterday after recovery, while the number of severe cases decreased by 153 to 5,111.

The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 80,735 by the end of yesterday, including 19,016 patients who were still being treated, 58,600 patients who had been discharged after recovery, and 3,119 people who had died of the disease.

According to the commission, 421 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

The commission said that 674,760 close contacts had been traced, adding that among them, 3,802 were discharged from medical observation yesterday, with 20,146 others still under medical observation.

By the end of yesterday, 114 confirmed cases had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including three deaths), 10 in the Macau Special Administrative Region and 45 in Taiwan (including one death).

Some 59 patients in Hong Kong, 10 in Macau and 15 in Taiwan have been discharged from hospital after recovery.

Editor: Xia Ruirui