BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese health authority said Friday that no new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Thursday.

No new suspected cases or deaths related to the disease were reported, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.

On Thursday, three patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery, while the number of severe cases remained four.

As of Thursday, a total of 82,995 confirmed COVID-19 cases had been reported on the mainland, and 4,634 people had died of the disease.

Altogether 78,291 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by the end of Thursday, the commission said, adding that there were 70 patients still being treated.

By Thursday, the mainland had reported a total of 1,734 imported cases. Of the cases, 1,688 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 46 remained hospitalized. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported.

Five people were suspected of being infected with the virus by Thursday, the commission said, noting that four of the cases were imported.

A total of 5,591 close contacts were still under medical observation by Thursday, said the commission.

Also on Thursday, five new asymptomatic cases were reported on the mainland. No cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases, and nine asymptomatic cases were discharged from medical observation.

The commission said 409 asymptomatic cases, including 25 from overseas, were still under medical observation.

By Thursday, 1,066 confirmed cases including four deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 45 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 441 in Taiwan including seven deaths.

A total of 1,035 patients in Hong Kong, 45 in Macao, and 420 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery.  ■