The Ministry of Health Thursday said the number of cases and deaths
from atypical pneumonia on the Chinese mainland as of Wednesday
were 1,290 and 55 respectively, refuting reports that the toll was
in fact much higher, particularly in the capital Beijing.
All the figures on the epidemic released by the Ministry of Health
are correct, and the Chinese Government is taking measures to
ensure the reporting of diseases is exact and transparent, said
Vice-Minister of Health Ma Xiaowei at a press conference
Thursday.
The Chinese State Council had added SARS to the list of notifiable
diseases according to the Law to Prevent and Control Infectious
Diseases. This means officials have a legal responsibility to
report the epidemic in a timely and correct manner.
Some 1,025 patients -- 79.4 per cent of all cases -- have recovered
and left hospital.
South China's Guangdong Province accounts for 1,213 of the cases,
North China's Shanxi Province has recorded 32, Beijing 22, South
China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region 12, Central China's Hunan
Province six, Southwest China's Sichuan Province four and Shanghai
one. All have reported deaths except for Shanghai.
Ma's ministry admitted for the first time that some SARS cases may
have been contracted in Beijing, contrary to its earlier insistence
that all patients were infected outside the capital.
As
of Thursday, four people had died of the flu-like illness in
Beijing.
"The cases in Beijing are mainly imported cases,'' Ma said. "But
those people in close contact with the sick, like medical personnel
and family members, may have also been infected.''
The number of SARS cases reported in Beijing is accurate and covers
all the confirmed cases in all types of hospitals throughout the
city, according to Ma.
There is one confirmed SARS case at the army hospitals in Beijing,
which is an imported case from North China's Shanxi Province, Guo
Jiyong, vice-director of the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau told
foreign diplomats in Beijing.
Besides the two foreigners who were confirmed infected with SARS,
two patients from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative
regions are also receiving treatment in Beijing.
No
SARS case has been found in Beijing's educational institutions so
far, Guo said.
"I
believe the information provided by the Beijing Municipal
Government is reliable,'' said Sergio Ley Lopez, Mexican ambassador
to China.
"I
think Beijing is very safe. Preventive measures adopted by health
authorities are highly effective,'' he said.
An
English hotline has been established to answer questions from
foreigners on SARS. The number is 64212486. A new hot line will be
set up in the near future.
To
protect medical staff and prevent the disease from spreading,
Beijing has expanded its research area and has placed those who
have had contact with patients under quarantine and medical
observation, Guo said.
He
added that people under medical observation and have been diagnosed
with SARS have been included in the 22 cases.
Ma
said: "If results indicate that some of the group show symptoms
matching those of SARS, we will immediately transfer them to the
designated hospital and report to the World Health Organization and
the press.''
"Quite a few people among the quarantined group will be discharged
soon, once they have been confirmed SARS-free,'' Ma said.
He
said the Health Ministry would send experts within 24 hours to
areas where a new case was found.
China will improve its national reporting system and set up a
notification and command centre for emergency response.
In
another development, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said
at a regular briefing Thursday that China understands the
precautionary measures taken by some countries to prevent the
further spread of SARS.
"Meanwhile we still hope these countries will make proper and
scientific judgments about the latest situation. Otherwise, the
relationship between China and these countries will be harmed,''
Liu said, when asked to comment on Malaysia's decision to bar
Chinese from entering the country due to the epidemic.
He
stressed that the epidemic of SARS has been contained in China and
most of the SARS-infected patients have left the hospital after
recovering.
As
of Thursday, 2,722 cases, including 106 deaths, have been reported
by 16 countries. This represents an increase of 51 cases and 3
deaths when compared with the previous day's totals.
(China Daily April 9, 2003)
