A total of 2,641 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Friday and 143 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.

The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 66,492 and the cumulative death toll is 1,523.

On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,373 new patients were discharged from hospital, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 8,096.

The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:

Hong Kong: 56 (one dead, one recovered)

Macao: 10 (three recovered)

Taiwan: 18 (one recovered)