Shanghai reports record level of new symptomatic COVID-19 cases

April 16 (UPI) -- The Chinese financial capital of Shanghai reported a record 3,590 new symptomatic cases Saturday as the key industrial city remained under lockdown amid a surge in COVID-19.

Overall, the municipal health commission reported 23,513 current COVID-19 infections, including 19,923 local asymptomatic carriers, based on data covering the previous 24 hours.

The number brings total infections since March to about 326,000.

Thirteen patients have suffered severe COVID-19 symptoms, and they have been receiving treatment locally, the health commission said Saturday. Of the 13 patients, 12 are between ages 70 and 93 and had existing underlying health issues. The remaining patient is age 33.

The strict lockdown in the financial hub, known as COVID Zero approach, was instituted in late March to curb the spread of COVID-19. The measures have disrupted supply chains, hurting the economy.

In a bid to reignite the city, Shanghai's Economic and Information Technology Commission on Saturday published guidelines for resuming production in a post on its WeChat account, Bloomberg News reported.

Among the guidelines, the commission said workers should live on-site of businesses and be tested regularly. They should also apply at the district and city levels for approval to restart production, authorities said.

Many companies use Shanghai as a production base, including Tesla, which plans to partly resume production soon.