As of midnight on March 23 (Beijing Time), Chinese mainland reports 78 new infections of COVID-19 ( 74 newly imported cases) and 7 new deaths.

The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland had reached 81,171 , including 4,735 patients ( 1,573 in serious condition ) still receiving medical treatment in hospital, 73,159 patients having been discharged after recovery, and 3,277 people died of the disease.

A total of 12 types of nucleic acid testing kits and 8 types of antibody testing kits for COVID-19 were approved for clinical use.

The first clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccine in China has begun. The trial is being conducted on 108 healthy adults ages of 18 to 60 in two medical facilities.

A total of 12,000 medical staff supporting virus-hit Hubei Province have started to depart the province as the epidemic situation has been greatly eased.

Wuhan to end its lockdown on April 8 with other parts of Hubei province lifting travel curbs on March 25.