BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Wednesday reported 138 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, of whom 124 were locally transmitted and the rest arrived from outside the mainland, the National Health Commission said Thursday.

Of the locally transmitted cases, 81 were reported in north China's Hebei Province and 43 in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the commission said in its daily report.

One death related to the disease was reported in Hebei on Wednesday, with no new suspected cases reported.

By the end of Wednesday, a total of 4,465 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 4,181 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 284 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 87,844 by Wednesday, including 885 patients still receiving treatment, 24 of whom were in severe condition.

A total of 82,324 patients had been discharged following recovery on the mainland, and 4,635 had died of the disease, according to the commission.

There was one suspected COVID-19 case on the mainland on Wednesday, and 30,963 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Wednesday saw 78 asymptomatic cases newly reported, of whom three arrived from outside the mainland. On the same day, 10 asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed ones.

A total of 599 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, of whom 252 arrived from outside the mainland.

By the end of Wednesday, 9,385 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 161 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 46 cases in the Macao SAR, and 842 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

A total of 8,584 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, 46 in the Macao SAR, and 731 in Taiwan.