SHANGHAI — Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan has urged solid efforts to stay on the target of cutting off COVID-19 transmission in communities as epidemic prevention and control enter a critical stage in Shanghai.

Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while heading a working group in guiding COVID-19 containment in the eastern Chinese metropolis from April 2 to May 1.

Over 30,000 medical staff from 22 provincial-level regions were sent to Shanghai to control the COVID-19 spread, and the Chinese military dispatched more than 5,000 medical workers to assist the mission. About 399,000 infections have been identified from communities in the city.

Data shows the epidemic situation is steadily improving and under effective control in the city. Newly reported COVID-19 cases in a single day have fallen from a peak of 27,000 to 7,189, and nearly two-thirds of the infections have recovered in the city.

The vice-premier stressed downgrading the control measures for communities without new infections for seven consecutive days to restore normal social order.

Sun also demanded strengthening treatment and care for elderly patients, maximizing the cure rate, and reducing the fatality rate.

The vice-premier stressed strictly implementing regular epidemic control measures and urged efforts to prevent the virus from spreading to other regions.