BEIJING, April?3 -- China will hold a national mourning Saturday for martyrs who died in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and compatriots died of the disease, according to the State Council.

During the commemoration, national flags will fly at half-mast across the country and in all Chinese embassies and consulates abroad, and public recreational activities will be suspended across the country.

At 10:00 a.m. Saturday, Chinese people nationwide will observe three minutes of silence to mourn for the deceased, while air raid sirens and horns of automobiles, trains and ships will wail in grief.

As of Thursday, a total of 81,620 confirmed cases of COVID-19 had been reported on the Chinese mainland, and 3,322 people had died of the disease.