(Yicai Global) March 13 -- Chinese health authority said today it received reports of eight new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and seven deaths on the Chinese mainland yesterday.

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

Also yesterday, three imported cases of novel coronavirus infection were reported, including two in Shanghai and one in Beijing. By the end of yesterday, 88 imported cases had been reported, said the commission.

Meanwhile, 33 new suspected cases were reported and 1,318 people were discharged from hospital yesterday after recovery, while the number of severe cases decreased by 237 to 4,020.

The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 80,813 by the end of yesterday, including 13,526 patients who were still being treated, 64,111 patients who had been discharged after recovery, and 3,176 people who had died of the disease.

According to the commission, 147 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

The commission said that 678,088 close contacts had been traced, adding that among them, 2,483 were discharged from medical observation yesterday, with 12,161 others still under medical observation.

By the end of yesterday, 131 confirmed cases had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including three deaths), 10 in the Macau Special Administrative Region and 49 in Taiwan (including one death).

Some 75 patients in Hong Kong, 10 in Macau and 20 in Taiwan have been discharged from hospital after recovery.

Editor: Xia Ruirui