Three senior COVID-19 cases die in Shanghai

People line up for PCR tests in Songjiang District.

Three elderly COVID-19 patients in Shanghai died of severe underlying diseases on Sunday. None of them had been vaccinated.

The patients' conditions, two females and a male between the ages of 89 and 91, worsened after being sent to hospitals.

The direct causes of death were their underlying diseases, said Wu Qianyu, a senior official with the Shanghai Health Commission.

As of Sunday, there were 16 COVID-19 patients in serious condition at local designated hospitals, said Wu.

The city reported 2,417 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 19,831 local asymptomatic infections on Sunday, a slight decline from Saturday.

The number of cases is trending downward in the last three days in Pudong, Songjiang and Qingpu districts, while conditions in Minhang, Xuhui, Huangpu, Baoshan, Yangpu, Hongkou, Changning and Jiading districts are still fluctuating, Wu said.

Cases are surging in Putuo and Jing'an districts, while the situation in Fengxian, Jinshan and Chongming districts has stabilized.

Also yesterday, 733 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 19,473 asymptomatic infections were discharged from local designated and makeshift hospitals after fully recovering.

Shanghai will continue its COVID-19 screenings to achieve dynamic zero-COVID, according to Wu.

"We aim to hit the target and restore normal production and life as soon as possible," she said.

Residents in locked down areas will receive daily polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests through Thursday. Staff will collect nucleic acid samples in buildings where any positive cases have been detected over the past five days.

Those in controlled areas will take antigen self-tests on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, along with a PCR test on Wednesday.

People in precautionary areas will take two antigen self-tests within a week.