(Yicai Global) March 19 --The Chinese mainland yesterday reported 34 new imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), bringing the total number of imported cases to 189, the National Health Commission said today.

Of the 34 new imported cases, 21 were reported in Beijing, nine in Guangdong province, two in Shanghai, one in Heilongjiang province and one in Zhejiang province, according to the commission.

No new domestically transmitted cases of the COVID-19 were reported on the Chinese mainland yesterday and all the new confirmed cases were imported.

The commission received reports of eight deaths yesterday on the Chinese mainland. All the new deaths were reported in Hubei province, according to the commission.

Meanwhile, 23 new suspected cases were reported and 819 people were discharged from hospital yesterday after recovery, while the number of severe cases decreased by 308 to 2,314.

The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 80,928 by the end of yesterday, including 7,263 patients who were still being treated, 70,420 patients who had been discharged after recovery, and 3,245 people who had died of the disease.

According to the commission, 105 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

The commission said that 683,281 close contacts had been traced, adding that among them, 1,032 were discharged from medical observation yesterday, with 9,144 others still under medical observation.

By the end of yesterday, 192 confirmed cases had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including four deaths), 15 in the Macau Special Administrative Region and 100 in Taiwan (including one death).

Some 95 patients in Hong Kong, 10 in Macau and 22 in Taiwan have been discharged from hospital after recovery.

Editor: Xia Ruirui