Sars 'contained' in Beijing
2003-05-20 10:12
Beijing - The outbreak of Sars in the Chinese capital is "effectively contained", health officials said on Tuesday but cautioned that an arduous task remained.
"This is what we have wanted to see for a long time, from double digit to single digit numbers," Liang Wannian, deputy director of Beijing's public health bureau said after just seven new cases were reported on Monday.
"It means that the message taken by the Communist Party, the municipal government and the general public are having an effect and have generated very good results."
Beijing has been the worst hit city in the world by severe acute respiratory syndrome with 150 deaths among 2 437 infected patients.
While the number of new cases has fallen steadily fallen in recent days, the World Health Organisation has expressed concern that according to its criteria the number of infections in China may have been understated.
Liang acknowledged this could happen, but said in Beijing it was unlikely.
"No city can be 100% sure that all diagnosis are correct," he said at a press conference.
"But in Beijing the instances of misdiagnosis are very few. Beijing strictly follows the case definitions issued by the Chinese ministry of health."
He said, however, that fluctuations in the number of cases was likely for some time yet.
"We cannot rule out a fluctuation in the number of new cases in the future. Many factors are still unknown to us. My prediction is that the trend for new cases will fluctuate," he said.
"The government wants to remind the people in the city to remain vigilant. We are facing a long-term and arduous task."
Another official, Ji Lin, deputy head of the Beijing municipal group on Sars control, said while the outbreak was being controlled there was potential for it to flare up again.
"Even though the situation has reached a state of preliminary containment, the prevention work still faces a complex situation," he said at the briefing.
"As people start to circulate more and as the economy and social lives gradually return to normal, anti-prevention work is necessary to prevent the epidemic fron rebounding." - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA