There were eight new imported cases of COVID-19 in Shanghai on Thursday, bringing the tally of imported cases in the municipality to 33, according to the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission.

These confirmed cases departed from Spain, the UK, Switzerland and the US. Seven of them are Chinese and one is Spanish, the commission said.

All persons have been transferred to a designated medical institution for treatment and 93 people who came into close contact with these individuals on their flights have also been sent to a centralized quarantine point for observation.

To date, Shanghai has had 338 locally confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The commission said that of the 42 confirmed patients who are receiving treatment in hospitals, 32 are from abroad.