BEIJING -- The Chinese mainland on Wednesday reported 1,226 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, down from 1,860 on Tuesday, the National Health Commission said on March 16.

Of the new local infections, 742 were reported in the northeastern province of Jilin, 99 in East China's Fujian province, 83 in the southern province of Guangdong, and 62 in Northeast China's Liaoning province.

More than a dozen other provincial-level regions also saw new locally-transmitted COVID-19 infections, including Beijing, the capital, with four cases.

A total of 91 imported COVID-19 cases were reported Wednesday, said the commission in its daily report.

Eight new suspected cases, all arriving from outside the mainland, were reported in Shanghai, said the commission. No deaths from COVID-19 were reported on the day.