(Yicai Global) March 20 --The Chinese mainland yesterday reported 39 new imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), bringing the total number of imported cases to 228, the National Health Commission said today.

Of the 39 new imported cases, 14 were reported in Guangdong province, eight in Shanghai, six in Beijing, three in Fujian province, and one in Tianjin, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Shandong, Guangxi, Sichuan and Gansu respectively, according to the commission.

No new domestically transmitted Covid-19 cases were reported for the second straight day on the Chinese mainland yesterday as all the new confirmed cases were imported.

The commission received reports of three deaths yesterday on the Chinese mainland. Among the deaths, two were reported in Hubei province and one in Liaoning province, the commission said.

Meanwhile, 31 new suspected cases were reported and 730 people were discharged from hospital yesterday after recovery, while the number of severe cases decreased by 178 to 2,136.

The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 80,967 by the end of yesterday, including 6,569 patients who were still being treated, 71,150 patients who had been discharged after recovery, and 3,248 people who had died of the disease.

According to the commission, 104 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

The commission said that 684,331 close contacts had been traced, adding that among them, 1,197 were discharged from medical observation yesterday, with 8,989 others still under medical observation.

By the end of yesterday, 208 confirmed cases had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including four deaths), 17 in the Macau Special Administrative Region and 108 in Taiwan (including one death).

Some 98 patients in Hong Kong, 10 in Macau and 26 in Taiwan have been discharged from hospital after recovery.

Editor: Xia Ruirui