A doctor tests nucleic acid samples at a laboratory department of Shanxi Bethune Hospital in Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi Province. Photo:China News Service

 Chinese health authority said Thursday it received reports of 35 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Wednesday, all imported cases.

Also on Wednesday, six deaths, all in Hubei Province , and 20 new suspected cases, all imported ones, were reported on the mainland, according to the commission.

On Wednesday, 170 people were discharged from hospitals after recovery, while the number of severe cases decreased by 37.

As of Wednesday, the mainland had reported a total of 841 imported cases but no death. Of the imported cases, 140 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 701 were being treated in hospital with 18 in severe conditions, said the commission.

The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 81,589 by Wednesday, including 1,863 patients who were still being treated, 76,408 patients who had been discharged after recovery, and 3,318 people who died of the disease.

The commission said that 153 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus, 152 of whom were from abroad.

The commission added that 20,072 close contacts were still under medical observation. On Wednesday, 1,898 people were discharged from medical observation.

Also on Wednesday, 55 new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases were reported on the mainland, of which 17 were imported, while nine were confirmed of being infected with the virus and 338 were discharged from medical observation, according to the commission.

The commission said that 1,075 asymptomatic-infected patients were still under medical observation.

By Wednesday, 765 confirmed cases including four deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 41 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 322 in Taiwan including five deaths.

A total of 147 patients in Hong Kong, 10 in Macao and 45 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery.