BEIJING -- The Chinese mainland reported no new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on March 4, the National Health Commission said Friday.

Nine new imported COVID-19 cases were reported on Thursday, said the commission in its daily report.

Two new suspected cases arriving from outside the mainland were reported in Shanghai, but no new deaths related to the disease were reported, it added.

On Thursday, eight COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals following their recovery.

By the end of Thursday, a total of 5,049 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 4,882 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 167 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 89,952 by Thursday, including 178 patients still receiving treatment, one of whom was in severe condition.

A total of 85,138 patients had been discharged following recovery on the mainland, and 4,636 had died of the disease.

There were two suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland by the end of Thursday, and 4,440 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Thursday also saw 12 asymptomatic cases newly reported, all arriving from outside the mainland. A total of 255 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, of whom 253 arrived from outside the mainland.