Residents walk outside their compound in Fengjing township, Jinshan district, Shanghai. Photo: VCG

Omicron-stricken Shanghai has seen a stable and improving epidemic situation with the daily tally of new COVID-19 infections dropping below 5,000 for the first time on Tuesday and two-thirds of the city's population now outside quarantine. 

On Wednesday, which marked China's Youth Day, local authorities thanked local young people who have been striving for the decisive battle against COVID-19.

Shanghai registered a total of 4,982 new infections on Tuesday after daily new cases remained below 10,000 for seven days in a row, which indicated a stable and improving epidemic situation, and also showed that the dynamic zero-COVID policy is exerting a positive effect on the situation, according to the city's health authority. 

After the first day of zero new infections outside quarantine was recorded on Saturday, the number of new infections discovered among at-risk people totaled 192 over the past three days, accounting for 1.07 percent of the total new infections registered over the past three days, Zhao Dandan, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

As of Tuesday, the population in precaution zones had expanded to 15.78 million, which was two times the population in lockdown and under control that had narrowed to 7.58 million, according to Zhao, who noted that the effects of epidemic prevention and control have become increasingly visible with the combination of antigen and nucleic acid screening, as well as other prevention measures.

Meanwhile, the city added 16 more COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 490. All the 16 deceased patients with an average age of 82.9 years had severe underlying diseases or malignant tumors which were the immediate and direct causes of their deaths. None of them had been inoculated. 

A total of 11,442 patients and silent carriers recovered and were discharged from hospitals on the same day. 

They will undergo health observation at home for the following seven days and take a nucleic acid test on the seventh day. If they test positive for COVID-19, they will be transferred to designated or makeshift hospitals immediately. Their testing results won't affect the classifications of their residential buildings or compounds in lockdown, under control or precaution, Zhao said.

Apart from veteran medical workers and other personnel at the frontier of the fight against COVID-19, the youth have played an active role in the latest Shanghai outbreak with numerous young people working around-the-clock at their positions or serving as volunteers. 

On Wednesday, which marked China's Youth Day, in a letter addressing the young people, Shanghai Party Chief Li Qiang encouraged the youth at the frontier to strive for success and win the decisive anti-virus battle resolutely.

Li stressed that the battle remains at a critical stage like rowing upstream, and not to advance is to drop back, which demands persistent efforts. 

Thus, he hoped that the local young people would unswervingly listen to and follow the Party, vigorously carry forward the spirit of the May Fourth Movement, and strive to win the decisive battle resolutely.

Ye Caiyan, a 35-year-old pharmacist at a unit of Yiyao Pharmacy affiliated with Shanghai Pharma Health Commerce Co, has been staying at the pharmacy for over a month. She told the Global Times on Wednesday that she receives 200 to 300 phone calls and works over 12 hours on the busiest days. 

"I can answer eight phone calls at most at the same time and solve the problems of the clients by using both the computer and cellphone simultaneously," Ye said. 

Wu Bin, Deputy Secretary of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League, said on Wednesday's press conference that 872 members of the committee have bought all kinds of medicines for 8,573 clients, including special and urgent medicines for tumors, diabetes, and mental illness for 2,718 clients.

"We'd like to pay high respects and tributes to these fearless and shining youth amid the COVID-19 fight," Wu said.