Confirmed infections of the novel coronavirus on the Chinese mainland rose by 2,478 on Monday to 42,638, according to the National Health Commission. 

New confirmed cases in the Chinese mainland, excluding Hubei province, have declined for seven straight days.

As of Monday midnight, a total of 1,016 people have died of the pathogen and 108 of the deaths occurred on Monday, according to data released by the commission on Tuesday morning. 

It also said 3,536 suspected cases were added over the course of Monday for a total of 21,675. 

While 7,333 patients remain in serious condition, a total of 3,996 people have been cured and discharged from hospitals as of Monday at midnight, the commission said.

A total of 187,728 people who have had close contact with infected patients are still under medical observation.

In Hubei province, the hardest hit region on the Chinese mainland, another 2,097 cases were confirmed for the 24 hours ending Monday at midnight, bringing up its total to 31,728, according to the province's health commission. 

The latest daily increase of 103 deaths takes total fatalities to date in the province to 974, it added. 

Wuhan, Hubei's capital and where the virus was first reported, outnumbers all other cities in the province for newly reported confirmed cases during the period, with 1,552 infections. 

It also comes second to none for death toll. With another 67 deaths on Monday, a total of 748 people of the city's population of 11 million have succumbed to the virus, the provincial authority said. 

The death rate of the epidemic across the province now stands at 3.07 percent. In Wuhan, however, the rate is 4.05 percent. 

The commission also said a total of 16,687 suspected cases have been counted in the province.  

A total of 25,087 people sickened by the virus are still hospitalized. Among them, 5,046 people have serious symptoms and 1,298 are in critical condition. 

Medical observation continues on a total of 76,207 people in the province.