BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- A total of 1,661 patients of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were discharged from hospital after recovery Saturday on the Chinese mainland, the National Health Commission said Sunday.

In total, 57,065 patients had been discharged from hospital by the end of Saturday, the commission said in its daily report.

By the end of Saturday, a total of 80,695 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 had been reported on the mainland, and 3,097 people had died of the disease.