March 19: Daily briefing on novel coronavirus cases in China

On March 18, 31 provincial-level regions on the Chinese mainland as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported 34 new cases of confirmed infections, 23 new cases of suspected infections, and 8 deaths (all in Hubei province). 819 patients were released from hospital after being cured. 1,032 people who had had close contact with infected patients were freed from medical observation. Serious cases decreased by 308.

As of 24:00 on March 18, the National Health Commission had received 80,928 reports of confirmed cases and 3,245 deaths in 31 provincial-level regions on the Chinese mainland and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and in all 70,420 patients had been cured and discharged from hospital. There still remained 7,263 confirmed cases (including 2,314 in serious condition) and 105 suspected cases. So far, 683,281 people have been identified as having had close contact with infected patients. 9,144 are now under medical observation.

On March 18, Hubei reported no new cases of confirmed infections, no new cases of suspected infections, and 8 deaths (6 in Wuhan). 795 patients were released from hospital after being cured, including 733 in Wuhan.

As of 24:00 on March 18, Hubei had reported 67,800 cases of confirmed infections (including 50,005 in Wuhan) and 3,130 deaths (including 2,496 in Wuhan). In all, 57,678 patients had been cured and discharged from hospital, including 40,765 in Wuhan. There still remained 6,992 confirmed cases (including 6,744 in Wuhan), with 2,274 in serious condition (including 2,222 in Wuhan). There were no suspected cases.

On March 18, the Chinese mainland reported 34 new imported confirmed cases from overseas (21 in Beijing municipality, 9 in Guangdong province, 2 in Shanghai municipality, 1 in Heilongjiang province, and 1 in Zhejiang province). As of 24:00 on March 18, the Chinese mainland had reported 189 imported confirmed cases from overseas.

As of 24:00 on March 18, 307 confirmed infections had been reported in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan province: 192 in Hong Kong (4 had been dead and 95 had been cured and discharged from hospital), 15 in Macao (10 had been cured and discharged from hospital) and 100 in Taiwan (1 had been dead and 22 had been cured and discharged from hospital).