BEIJING - In the first half of May, most of the domestically transmitted cases of COVID-19 on the Chinese mainland came from cluster infections, said a Chinese health official Saturday.

Asymptomatic cases were reported in various places across the country during the period, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, at a press conference.

In the first half of May, a total of 39 domestically transmitted cases and 194 asymptomatic cases were reported on the mainland, down 46 percent and 62 percent respectively from the second half of April, said Mi.

Mi stressed efforts to improve nucleic acid testing capabilities and step up screening, review, quarantine and management of asymptomatic cases.

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Health authorities said Saturday that it received reports of eight new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Friday, of which six were imported.

The other two cases were both domestically transmitted and reported in Jilin province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.

Among the new imported cases, five were reported in Shanghai and one in Hainan, the commission said, adding that two new suspected cases imported from abroad were reported in Shanghai

Among the new imported cases, five were reported in Shanghai and one in Hainan, the commission said, adding that two new suspected cases imported from abroad were reported in Shanghai.

No deaths related to the disease were reported on Friday, according to the commission.

On Friday, 10 people were discharged from hospitals after recovery, while the number of severe cases remained 11.

As of Friday, the overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 82,941, including 89 patients who were still being treated, and 78,219 people who had been discharged after recovery.

Altogether 4,633 people had died of the disease, the commission said.

By Friday, the mainland had reported a total of 1,698 imported cases. Of the cases, 1,652 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 46 remained hospitalized with three in severe conditions. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported.

The commission said three people, all from overseas, were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

According to the commission, 5,053 close contacts were still under medical observation after 745 people were discharged from medical observation Friday.

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Also on Friday, 13 new asymptomatic cases including one from abroad were reported on the mainland. One was re-categorized as confirmed case, and 70 asymptomatic cases, including five from overseas, were discharged from medical observation.

The commission said 561 asymptomatic cases, including 30 from overseas, were still under medical observation.

By Friday, 1,052 confirmed cases including four deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 45 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 440 in Taiwan including seven deaths.

A total of 1,019 patients in Hong Kong, 43 in Macao, and 387 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery.