The number of new COVID-19 cases in China dropped to double-digit figures on Friday for the first time since Jan. 20, according to China's health authority Saturday.

The National Health Commission reported 99 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 28 deaths on Friday on the Chinese mainland. The deaths were all reported in central China's Hubei Province.

The new cases included 24 imported infections -- 17 in Gansu Province, three in Beijing, three in Shanghai and one in Guangdong Province.

Although the rapidly rising trend of infection has been contained in Wuhan, the city as well as the province of Hubei sill face heavy tasks of epidemic prevention and control and hard efforts must continue to secure a victory, said Ding Xiangyang, deputy secretary-general of the State Council, the cabinet, on Friday.

The mainland reported a daily increase of 77 coronavirus cases on Jan. 20, followed by 149 new cases on Jan. 21. Infections were first officially reported in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak in late December.