The Chinese mainland recorded 1,576 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday, with 1,540 linked to local transmissions and 36 from overseas, according to data from the National Health Commission on Friday.

A total of 22,648 new asymptomatic cases were also recorded on Thursday, and 156,293 asymptomatic patients remain under medical observation.

Confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now total 161,692, with the death toll at 4,638.

The latest tally of confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region is as follows:

Hong Kong: 307,793 (54,939 recoveries, 8,557 deaths)

Macao: 82 (82 recoveries)

Taiwan: 25,756 (13,742 recoveries, 853 deaths)