Beijing, Mar 2 (IANS): The death toll due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in China has increased to 2,912, health authorities said on Monday, while the number of confirmed cases has risen to 80,000.

Chinese health authorities said they have received reports of 202 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus and 42 deaths on Sunday on the Chinese mainland, Xinhua reported.

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

Meanwhile, 141 new suspected cases have also been reported, said the commission.

Also on Sunday, 2,837 people were discharged from hospital after recovery, while the number of severe cases decreased by 255 to 7,110.

As many as 2,912 people have lost their lives while the overall confirmed cases on the mainland have reached 80,026 until midnight, the commission said.

As many as 32,652 patients are still being treated and 44,462 patients have been discharged after recovery.

The commission said that 715 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

The commission added 46,219 close contacts were still under medical observation. On Sunday, 8,154 people were discharged from medical observation.

Until midnight, 98 confirmed cases including two deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 10 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 40 in Taiwan, including one death.

Thirty-six patients in Hong Kong, eight in Macao and 12 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospital after recovery.