Recovered patients infected with novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) wave to medical staff at a temporary hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

China has made progress in curing patients of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as it steps up epidemic prevention and control measures and medical reinforcements, a health official said Saturday.

In the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province, a total of 36,680 confirmed COVID-19 patients were still being treated in hospitals on Friday, compared with the peak number of 38,020 on Feb. 18, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC), at a press conference.

The rest parts of Hubei have 10,967 confirmed cases on Friday, compared with the peak number of 13,886 on Feb. 14, according to Mi.

Outside Hubei, the number of COVID-19 patients still hospitalized was 5,637 on Friday, dropping significantly from a peak of 9,141 on Feb. 11, Mi said.

Only 31 new confirmed cases were reported outside Hubei on Friday, with all other provincial-level regions reporting less than 10 or zero new infections.

A total of 20,659 COVID-19 patients had been discharged from hospital after recovery by the end of Friday.