A medical worker checks drip of a patient in the ICU (intensive care unit) of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)

The pneumonia situation has resulted in 41 deaths, including 39 in central China's Hubei Province.

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese health authorities announced Saturday that 1,287 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), including 237 in critical conditions, had been reported in the country by the end of Friday.

The pneumonia situation had resulted in 41 deaths, including 39 in central China's Hubei Province, one in north China's Hebei Province and one in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, according to the National Health Commission.

A total of 1,965 suspected cases had also been reported.

Thirty-eight people who recovered had been discharged from hospitals.

During the 24 hours of Friday, 444 new confirmed cases and 1,118 new suspected cases were reported while 16 people died of the disease.

The outbreak spread to Qinghai Province, bringing the number of affected provincial-level regions to 30, according to the commission.

A total of 15,197 close contacts have been traced, the commission said, adding that among them, 13,967 are under medical observation while 1,230 others have been discharged.

In addition, ten confirmed cases had been reported in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan, with five in Hong Kong, two in Macao and three in Taiwan.

Overseas, confirmed cases were reported in Thailand (4 including 2 cured), Japan (2 including 1 cured), the Republic of Korea (2), the United States (2), Vietnam (2), Singapore (3), Nepal (1) and France (2). ■