Beijing, Feb 21 (IANS): The overall death toll in mainland China due to the deadly coronavirus has increased to 2,236, while the number of confirmed cases reached 75,465, health authorities said on Friday.

The National Health Commission said that it received reports of 889 new confirmed cases and 118 deaths on Thursday from 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, reports Xinhua news agency.

Among the deaths, 115 were in Hubei province and one each in Zhejiang, Chongqing and Yunnan.

Also on Thursday, 2,109 people were discharged after recovery, while the number of severe cases decreased by 231 to 11,633.

The Commission added that 5,206 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

It further said that 606,037 close contacts had been traced, adding that among them, 28,804 were discharged on Thursday, with 120,302 others still under medical observation.

As of Friday morning, the number of reported cases outside China were reported in Japan (723), South Korea (156), Singapore (85), Hong Kong (69), Thailand (35), Taiwan (24), Malaysia (22), Australia (17), Germany (16), Vietnam (16), the US (15), France (12), Macau (10), the UK (nine), the UAE (nine), Canada (eight), Iran (five), India (three), the Philippines (three), Italy (three), Russia (two), Spain (two), Egypt (one), Cambodia (one), Finland (one), Nepal (one), Sri Lanka (one), Sweden (one) and Belgium (one), according to figures published by the South China Morning Post.

The deaths outside China were recorded in Japan (three), Hong Kong (two), Iran (two), South Korea (one) and France (one).