Confirmed, suspected novel coronavirus cases continue to rise

Both confirmed and suspected infections of the novel coronavirus continued to increase on Thursday, according to data released by the National Health Commission on Friday morning.

On the Chinese mainland, the total number of confirmed infections of the virus climbed to 9,692 as of Thursday midnight, including 213 deaths. Among them, 1,982 cases and 43 deaths were newly reported on Thursday, official data shows.

There were also 4,812 new suspected cases reported on Thursday, pushing the total number of suspected infections to 15,238, according to the commission.

A day ago, the commission reported 4,148 new suspected cases, which suggests that the disease is still spreading.

While a total of 1,527 patients remain in serious condition, 171 people have been released from hospitals after getting cured, the commission said.

A total of 102,427 people that have had close contact with infected patients are still under medical observation, though 4,201 such people were freed from observation on Thursday. 

The number of confirmed infections in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan province had risen to 28 in total, according to the commission.

Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, reported 1,220 new confirmed cases and 42 new deaths on Thursday, bringing the two numbers up to 5,806 and 204 respectively, according to the province's health commission.

A total of 5,486 people sickened by the virus in the province are still being hospitalized. Among them, 804 people have serious symptoms and 290 are in critical condition, the provincial commission said. 

It also said medical observation continues on 32,340 people.