(Yicai Global) Feb. 7 -- Chinese health authorities said today that it received reports of 3,143 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 73 deaths yesterday from 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

Hubei province reported 2,447 new confirmed cases and 69 deaths while Jilin, Henan, Guangdong and Hainan provinces reported one death respectively yesterday, according to China's National Health Commission.

The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland had reached 31,161 by the end of yesterday and 636 patients had died of the disease, the commission said.

Another 4,833 new suspected cases, including 2,622 in Hubei, were reported yesterday.

Also yesterday, 962 patients became seriously ill and 387 people were discharged from hospital after recovery, according to the commission.

The commission added that 4,821 patients remained in critical condition and 26,359 people were suspected of being infected with the virus by yesterday.

A total of 1,540 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery by yesterday.

The commission said 314,028 close contacts had been traced. Among them, 186,045 are still under medical observation.

By the end of yesterday, 24 confirmed cases had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including one death), 10 in the Macau Special Administrative Region (including one cured and discharged from hospital) and 16 in Taiwan (including one cured and discharged from hospital) .

Editor: Xia Ruirui