Shanghai's COVID-19 lockdown has been extended to some western parts of the city earlier than scheduled, as tax refunds and rent cuts are offered to businesses.
The government on Wednesday reported the city of 26 million people had 5,987 cases, of which only 329 had symptoms.
Nationally, the government confirmed 8,825 new infections, including 7,196 in people with no symptoms.
China's case numbers in its latest infection surge are low compared with other major countries.
But the ruling Communist Party is enforcing a "zero tolerance" strategy aimed at isolating every infected person.
Some 9.1 million of Shanghai's population had undergone virus testing by Wednesday, according to health officials.
They said "preventive disinfection" of apartment compounds, office buildings and shopping malls would be carried out.
Shanghai recorded more than 20,000 cases by Monday in its latest outbreak, according to state media.
Tax refunds, rent cuts for businesses
The government is trying to fine-tune its strategy to rein in job losses and other costs to the world's second-largest economy.
The Shanghai government announced tax refunds, cuts in rent and low-cost loans for small businesses.
A government statement on Tuesday promised to "stabilise jobs" and "optimise the business environment".
The Shanghai port stayed open and managers made extra efforts to ensure vessels "can call normally," state TV reported.
The port serves the Yangtze River Delta, one of the world's busiest manufacturing regions, with thousands of makers of smartphone and auto components, appliances and other goods.
Operations at Shanghai airports and train stations were normal, according to the online news outlet The Paper. Bus service into and out of the city was suspended earlier. Visitors are required to show a negative virus test.
Abroad, the biggest potential impact on China's Asian neighbours and the rest of the world is likely to come from developments that chill demand in the world's most populous consumer market, economists said.
China is the biggest export market for all of its neighbours, including Japan and South Korea.
'Do not gather, and reduce movements'
Shanghai's eastern district of Pudong is in the third day of a lockdown which had been scheduled to extend to districts west of the Huangpu River on Friday.
But the south-western district of Minhang announced late on Tuesday it would suspend public bus services until April 5.
Several residents living in western districts also received notices from their housing committees about restricted movement.
The notices said they would be stopped from leaving their compounds for the next seven days, for reasons such as pandemic control or because a neighbour had been a close contact of a positive case.
The topic "Pudong pandemic" was one of the top trending items on the Chinese Weibo social media platform.
A widely shared video showed a robotic dog with a loudhailer strapped on to its back walking around the empty streets of a housing compound, reminding residents to take necessary precautions.
The lockdown has hit the city's car makers, with two major suppliers, Aptiv and Thyssenkrupp, joining Tesla in shutting plants due to COVID control measures.
ABC/Wires
