(Yicai Global) Feb. 20 -- Chinese health authorities said today that it received reports of 394 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 114 deaths yesterday from 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

Among the deaths, 108 were in Hubei province, and one in Hebei, Shanghai, Fujian, Shandong, Yunnan and Shaanxi respectively, according to the China's National Health Commission. 

Hubei reported 349 new confirmed cases yesterday.  

Another 1,277 new suspected cases were reported yesterday, including 880 in Hubei, said the commission.

Also yesterday, 1,779 people were discharged from hospital after recovery.

The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland had reached 74,576 by the end of yesterday, and 2,118 people had died of the disease.

The commission added that 11,864 patients remained in severe condition, and 4,922 people were suspected of being infected with the virus.

A total of 16,155 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery.

The commission said 589,163 close contacts had been traced, adding that among them, 25,318 were discharged from medical observation yesterday, with 126,363 others still under medical observation.

By the end of yesterday, 65 confirmed cases had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including two deaths), 10 in the Macau Special Administrative Region and 24 in Taiwan (including one death).

Five patients in Hong Kong, six in Macau and two in Taiwan have been discharged from hospital after recovery.

Editor: Xia Ruirui