Over 130,000 COVID-19 cases in Shanghai since March 1

Some 1,700 medical staff from southeast Fujian Province set off to help Shanghai in its fight against COVID-19.

Shanghai has reported a total of over 130,000 positive COVID-19 cases since the outbreak on March 1.

Some 96 percent of them are asymptomatic cases and one patient is in a serious condition, according to Shanghai Health Commission.

As of midnight Thursday, there have been 131,524 coronavirus infections in Shanghai and 127,131 of them are asymptomatic cases, Wu Qianyu, an official with the commission, told the city's daily COVID-19 press briefing on Friday.

There are some asymptomatic cases that have showed symptoms later, as well as some cases with mild or normal conditions that later turn out to be serious, Wu said. One patient is currently in serious condition and undergoing treatment, she noted.

"The recent screening has found community transmissions still exist in Shanghai along with clusters of infections. The situation remains complex and severe," said Wu.

The people with local infections are aged between 10 days and 98 years old. Among them, 15 percent are under 18 years old, 69 percent are between 18 and 60 years old and 16 percent are above 60 years old, according to Wu.

Medics from Fuzhou and Xiamen in Fujian Province take a charter flight to Shanghai.

The number of infections has continued to be at a high level in the city, Wu said. On Thursday, the city reported 824 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 20,398 local asymptomatic infections.

The number of Shanghai's new daily infections has exceeded the highest level during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. On the peak day in 2020, China reported a total of 15,152 new coronavirus cases.

Another round of citywide antigen self-testing or nucleic acid testing will be launched in Shanghai on Friday to further screen for positive cases. Wu asked citizens to work together and help each other to get through this most difficult period.

To assist Shanghai's fight against the pandemic, medical teams and PCR sample collection teams from over 10 Chinese provinces and cities have arrived in Shanghai to support COVID-19 prevention and treatment, Wu said.

The medics from outside Shanghai will mainly take part in PCR sample collection and testing, treatment at makeshift hospitals as well as assisting local districts to treat COVID-19 patients.

Wu said the great support from these medical teams has enhanced the city's determination to achieve the final victory.