Shanghai reported eight new COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total since the resurgence in March to 25.

The average age of the fatalities was 77.5 years, all of whom had severe underlying diseases, such as advanced cancer, severe heart disease, hypertension, brain infarction and uremia. Two had been vaccinated.

Among Shanghai's COVID-19 patients, 139 have severe symptoms and 20 are in critical condition, said Wu Qianyu, a senior official with the Shanghai Health Commission.

She noted that positive COVID-19 cases with underlying diseases have a high risk of developing severe symptoms, especially seniors.

She asked local designated hospitals to enhance monitoring and early warnings as well as intervene earlier to prevent those with mild symptoms from getting worse.

The number of Shanghai's new daily COVID-19 cases has been declining for four consecutive days. It reported 2,634 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, including 459 cases that were previously asymptomatic infections, and 15,861 local asymptomatic infections.

The number of new cases is about 30 percent lower than during the peak period in mid-April.

Meanwhile, a total of 20,297 COVID-19 patients were discharged from local designated and makeshift hospitals on Wednesday after making full recoveries.

Chen Yue, president of Shanghai Longhua Hospital, said a specialized traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) online outpatient service has opened for recovered COVID-19 patients to rehabilitate.

Some mature TCM recipes can enhance people's immunity and prevent COVID-19 safely and effectively, which can help curb the spread of the virus, Chen said.

The declining trend of the resurgence is evident in two suburban districts – Chongming and Jinshan – each of which achieved the dynamic zero-COVID goal on Wednesday.

Around 90 percent of Chongming Island residents live in precautionary areas that are still under strict prevention and control measures, said Zhang Zhitong, deputy director of Chongming.

"We will firmly prevent the precautionary areas from being 'free zones,'" Zhang said.

Daily supplies and medicines continue  to be distributed to residents to prevent gathering and movement, Zhang added.