Shanghai has further enhanced medical resources at COVID-19 designated hospitals to reduce the rate of severe conditions and deaths, according to the city's health commission.

There are 48 COVID-19 designated hospitals at city and district levels, with a total of about 25,000 beds, the commission said. They are mainly for coronavirus infections with normal, serious and critical symptoms, as well as those with severe underlying diseases and children under 7 years old with no guardian, said Zhao Dandan, deputy director of the commission.

"The designated hospitals are still facing challenges such as the large number of patients in critical condition or in old age," he observed.