A total of 2,009 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Saturday and 142 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.

The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 68,500 and the cumulative death toll is 1,665.

On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,323 new patients were discharged from the hospital, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 9,419.

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 (two recovered)