BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese health authority said Saturday it received reports of 99 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 28 deaths on Friday on the Chinese mainland.

The 28 deaths were in Hubei Province, according to the National Health Commission.

A total of 1,678 patients of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were discharged from hospital after recovery Friday on the Chinese mainland, the National Health Commission said Saturday.

In total, 55,404 patients had been discharged from hospital by the end of Friday, the commission said in its daily report.

By the end of Friday, a total of 80,651 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 had been reported on the mainland, and 3,070 people had died of the disease.