Shanghai reported the first three COVID-19 deaths on Monday, in the latest outbreak in the city. Authorities reported the three were older patients who also suffered from other illnesses.
In mid-March, two deaths were reported in Jilin province in north-eastern China, which were considered the first in the country in more than a year. Experts are doubtful of the accuracy of figures reported by the government.
China is seeing its worst outbreak since the beginning of the pandemic, with financial hub Shanghai at the center of the wave.
Shanghai's population of 26 million has been under a strict lockdown since the end of March as China continues to employ a "zero-COVID" policy.
But the city says it is targeting Wednesday as the turning point for its strict lockdown, amid growing frustrations among residents.
Many people have taken to social media to vent their anger about the rules, with videos of scuffles with police and residents screaming from skyscrapers going viral on social media.
A speech by a local official said the target will require officials to accelerate COVID testing and the transfer of positive cases to a quarantine center.
