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Joshua Eisenman

Shanghai will ease strict quarantine rules from Monday, with only those who have come into contact with suspected or confirmed cases of Sars being placed in isolation.

Local officials revealed for the first time yesterday that Shanghai had quarantined nearly 29,000 people in a bid to control the  outbreak despite having only eight confirmed cases. By comparison, Beijing also quarantined about 29,000 people but official figures show its number of confirmed cases is more than 2,500.

Shanghai Information Office deputy director Jiao Yang said: 'In Shanghai, the Sars situation is stable and under control. We will adjust the two directives [on quarantine].'

Previously, all residents returning from affected areas were subject to two weeks' quarantine.

Visitors were required to undergo twice-daily health checks but were free to move around.

In future, both visitors and residents coming from affected areas will be required to submit only to health checks, according to a government statement.

The local government also said it would allow business trips and official visits to areas unaffected by Sars, defined as places which have not had any new confirmed cases for 20 days.

Previously, authorities discouraged all trips outside the city.

Officials declined to say whether they would formally relax rules banning so-called 'mass activities', saying only that any large-scale gatherings  would require health checks for people attending.

Of Shanghai's eight confirmed cases, two people have died, two have recovered and four remain in hospital.

The health bureau said as of yesterday, the city had one suspected case.



Shanghai is easing its quarantine rules