(Yicai Global) March 8 -- Chinese health authority said today it received reports of 44 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 27 deaths yesterday on the Chinese mainland.

All the new deaths yesterday were in Hubei province, according to the National Health Commission.

Also yesterday, three imported cases of novel coronavirus infection were reported on the mainland, including two in Beijing and one in Gansu province. By the end of yesterday, 63 imported cases had been reported, said the commission.

Meanwhile, 84 new suspected cases were reported and 1,661 people were discharged from hospital yesterday after recovery, while the number of severe cases decreased by 225 to 5,264.

The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 80,695 by the end of yesterday, including 20,533 patients who were still being treated, 57,065 patients who had been discharged after recovery, and 3,097 people who had died of the disease.

According to the commission, 458 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

The commission said that 674,038 close contacts had been traced, adding that among them, 4,021 were discharged from medical observation yesterday, with 23,074 others still under medical observation.

By the end of yesterday, 109 confirmed cases had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including two deaths), 10 in the Macau Special Administrative Region and 45 in Taiwan (including one death).

Some 55 patients in Hong Kong, 10 in Macau and 13 in Taiwan have been discharged from hospital after recovery.

Editor: Xia Ruirui