BEIJING -- The Chinese mainland on Wednesday reported 144 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 126 locally transmitted and 18 arriving from outside the mainland, the National Health Commission said on Jan 21.

Of the locally transmitted cases, 68 were reported in Heilongjiang, 33 in Jilin, 20 in Hebei, two each in Beijing and Shanxi, and one in Shandong, the commission said in its daily report.

Five suspected cases arriving from outside the mainland were newly reported in Shanghai, said the commission, adding that no deaths related to the disease were reported on Wednesday.

By the end of Wednesday, the mainland had reported 4,563 imported COVID-19 cases in total. Among them, 4,275 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 288 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 88,701 by Wednesday, including 1,598 patients still receiving treatment, of whom 68 were in severe condition.

A total of 82,468 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,635 had died of the disease, according to the commission.

There were five suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland on Wednesday, and 36,874 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Wednesday also saw 113 asymptomatic cases newly reported on the mainland, of which 16 arrived from outside the mainland. On the same day, 56 asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases.

There were 844 asymptomatic cases still under medical observation, of which 268 arrived from outside the mainland.