(Yicai Global) Feb. 25 -- Chinese health authorities said today that it received reports of 508 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 71 deaths yesterday from 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

Among the deaths, 68 were in Hubei province, two in Shandong province, and one in Guangdong province, according to the China's National Health Commission. 

Hubei reported 499 new confirmed cases yesterday.  

Another 530 new suspected cases were reported yesterday, including 373 in Hubei, said the commission.

Also 2,589 people were discharged from hospital after recovery, while the number of severe cases decreased by 789 to 9,126 yesterday.

The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland had reached 77,658 by the end of yesterday, and 2,663 people had died of the disease.

The commission added that 2,824 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

A total of 27,323 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery.

The commission said 641,742 close contacts had been traced, adding that among them, 15,758 were discharged from medical observation yesterday, with 87,902 others still under medical observation.

By the end of yesterday, 81 confirmed cases had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including two deaths), 10 in the Macau Special Administrative Region and 30 in Taiwan (including one death).

Nineteen patients in Hong Kong, six in Macau and five in Taiwan have been discharged from hospital after recovery.

Editor: Xia Ruirui