Visitors to a mall with a monster themed festival wears masks to protect from the coronavirus in Beijing Saturday, Dec 26, 2020. Beijing has urged residents not to leave the city during the Lunar New Year holiday in February, implementing new restrictions after several coronavirus infections last week. (NG HAN GUAN / AP)

BEIJING - The Chinese mainland on Saturday reported 22 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 12 locally transmitted cases and 10 arriving from outside the mainland, the National Health Commission said Sunday.

Seven of the locally transmitted cases were reported in northeast China's Liaoning Province, while five were reported in Beijing, the commission said in its daily report.

Seven of the locally transmitted cases were reported in northeast China's Liaoning Province, while five were reported in Beijing, the National Health Commission said in its daily report

No new suspected cases or deaths related to the disease were reported Saturday.

Sixteen COVID-19 patients on the Chinese mainland were discharged from hospitals following recovery on Saturday.

By the end of Saturday, a total of 4,203 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,933 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 270 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

ALSO READ: COVID-19: China to vaccinate 'key groups' over winter, spring

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 86,955 by Saturday, including 334 patients still receiving treatment.

A total of 81,987 patients had been discharged following recovery on the mainland, and 4,634 had died as a result of the virus, according to the commission.

There were no suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland on Saturday, and 11,954 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Saturday saw 15 asymptomatic cases newly reported, 11 of whom arrived from outside the mainland. One asymptomatic case was re-categorized as a confirmed case.

ALSO READ: China's CoronaVac meets WHO standards, Brazil says

A total of 251 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, of whom 206 arrived from outside the mainland.

By the end of Saturday, 8,540 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 136 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 46 cases in the Macao SAR, and 783 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

A total of 7,394 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, 46 in the Macao SAR, and 647 in Taiwan.

READ MORE: Virus mutation from overseas not found in China, CDC says

Beijing has tightened epidemic prevention and control measures after new reports of local infections of COVID-19.

Several locally transmitted cases have recently emerged in the districts of Chaoyang, Xicheng and Shunyi in Beijing, sounding the alarm bell again in epidemic prevention and control.

Shunyi District has entered a coronavirus "wartime state" with tightened personnel flow management and mass testing in progress, executive deputy district chief Zhi Xianwei told reporters.

Authorities in Shunyi planned to conduct nucleic acid testing for 800,000 people, said Zhi. By Saturday noon, around 120,000 people had received tests.