China: First COVID-19 deaths reported in Shanghai since start of lockdown

First coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths have been reported in Shanghai since the start of its weeks-long lockdown, officials in the city informed on Monday (April 18).

The city government further informed that three elderly people with underlying conditions died because of the virus. They were aged between 89 and 91.

"The three people deteriorated into severe cases after going into hospital, and died after all efforts to revive them proved ineffective," Shanghai’s municipal government revealed on social media.

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Giving more details, as quoted by the news agencies, the officials also said that the deceased included two women and a man. All of them had several underlying health complaints, for example, coronary heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

China has been struggling to contain Covid outbreaks in multiple regions amid a rise in cases largely fuelled by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

Shanghai is one of the hardest-hit regions in China and remained under strict Covid measures amid the worst outbreak in the city since the start of the pandemic.

As per the data available provided by the municipal health commission, Shanghai posted 22,248 new domestic cases on Monday, of which 2,417 were symptomatic.

Before Shanghai, China last reported Covid deaths on March 19.

News agency Reuters quoted a source familiar with the news development as saying that Shanghai has set a target to stop the spread of COVID-19 outside of quarantined areas by Wednesday.

Citing a document, the report further added that the set target will require officials to accelerate Covid testing and the transfer of positive cases to quarantine centres.

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