The number of COVID-19 infections has increased to 50,403 after 1,331 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours, according to a release from the Health and Sports Ministry on Thursday Xinhua reported.

Twenty-seven more deaths were reported, bringing the death toll to 1,199 as of Thursday.

So far, a total of 30,007 recovered patients have been discharged from hospitals, the release said.