BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese health authority said Friday that it received reports of six new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland Thursday, of which two were imported.

The other four new cases were domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said in a daily report, noting that three cases were reported in Heilongjiang Province and one in Guangdong Province.

No deaths were reported Thursday on the mainland. Two new suspected cases, all imported ones, were also reported.

According to the commission, 50 people were discharged from hospitals after recovery Thursday, while the number of severe cases dropped by six to 57.

As of Thursday, the mainland had reported a total of 1,618 imported cases. Of the cases, 849 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 769 were being treated with 32 in severe conditions, said the commission.

No deaths from the imported cases had been reported, it added.

The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 82,804 by Thursday, including 915 patients who were still being treated and 77,257 people who had been discharged after recovery, the commission said.

Altogether 4,632 people had died of the disease, it said.

The commission said that 20 people, including 17 from abroad, were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

It added that 8,362 close contacts were still under medical observation. On Thursday, 607 people were discharged from medical observation.

Also on Thursday, 34 new asymptomatic cases, including one from abroad, were reported on the mainland. Three domestic asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases, and 36 people, 10 of whom were from abroad, were discharged from medical observation, according to the commission.

The commission said 979 suspected asymptomatic cases, including 157 from abroad, were still under medical observation.

By Thursday, 1,035 confirmed cases including four deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 45 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 427 in Taiwan including six deaths.

A total of 699 patients in Hong Kong, 27 in Macao and 253 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery.  ■