Shanghai health officials say seven people died in the Chinese city from COVID-19 on Monday. Public outcry is rising against the lockdown there, as the restrictions have prevented some residents from receiving urgent medical care.

The ages of the deceased ranged from 60 to 101. They had severe underlying health conditions.

The city logged more than 20,000 new cases on Monday. That's down from a recent peak, but still high as the virus continues to spread.

Renowned Chinese economist Larry Hsien Ping Lang lost his 98-year-old mother, after Shanghai's coronavirus restrictions delayed her medical treatment.

Lang said on social media his mother waited more than 4 hours for a PCR test result to determine whether she could get emergency hospital care for kidney disease. She died while waiting. His post attracted many comments criticizing the authorities.

Public discontent about the government's handling of the outbreak has intensified. But Chinese state media stress President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy is in the country's best interests.

Meanwhile, Japan has replaced China as the host of the East Asian Football Championship finals in July, due to concerns about China's coronavirus situation.

Teams taking part in the men's competition are Japan, South Korea, China and Hong Kong. The women's qualifiers are Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan. Details and the match schedule have yet to be fixed.