The central quarantine period has been shortened by half to a week for close contacts of COVID-19 infections in Shanghai, according to the city's health commission.

As per the latest policies, they will be centrally quarantined for a week, followed by another week of home quarantine, Zhao Dandan, deputy director of the Shanghai Health Commission, said.

During central quarantine, the close contacts will receive daily polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. They will be discharged only after the PCR samples on the infections as well as their items and living environment are negative on the seventh day.