A citizen receives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site in Yinchuan, capital city of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Jan 2, 2022. (PHOTO/XINHUA)

BEIJING - The Chinese mainland reported nine new locally-transmitted COVID-19 infections on Friday, down from 12 on Thursday.

Of the new local cases, six were reported in Guangdong, two in Tianjin, and one in Beijing, according to the National Health Commission on Saturday.

Besides, a total of 18 new imported COVID-19 cases were reported across the Chinese mainland on Friday.

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Following the recovery of 129 patients on Friday, the number of COVID-19 patients currently undergoing treatment has dropped to 1,571.

There have been no new COVID-19 deaths and the death toll has remained unchanged at 4,636.