The number of people isolated in Beijing for having had close contact with suspected and probable Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) patients was 17,679 as of 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, up 801 from the day before, according to the latest local epidemiological survey.

Also as of 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, 8,088 persons had been released from quarantine, a rise of 1,336, said the survey.

During the same period, the number of areas in Beijing isolated to check the spread of the SARS disease dropped from six to five, with the number of construction sites quarantined remaining at four.

The Beijing joint anti-SARS work team noted that the quarantine sites are located in Chongwen, Dongcheng (East), Xuanwu (South) and Xicheng (West) districts.

(Xinhua News Agency May 8, 2003)