Posted on 04/23/2003 7:05:59 AM PDT by Brian S
The World Health Organization is warning travelers to avoid China's capital, Beijing, the northern Chinese province of Shanxi and the Canadian city of Toronto because of the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
A spokesman for the Geneva-based organization said Wednesday all unnecessary travel to those places should be put off.
The warning follows a similar advisory earlier this month that travelers avoid Hong Kong and the southeastern Chinese province of Guangdong, where the SARS outbreak is thought to have begun last November.
The illness has killed an estimated 250 people around the world and infected nearly 4500. But the worst outbreaks have occurred in China, Hong Kong and Canada. Singapore also has seen a high number of SARS cases, but so far the World Health Organization is not warning against traveling there.
In China's capital, officials are closing public schools for two weeks because of growing concern about SARS. The shutdown - affecting nearly two million children - begins Thursday and lasts until May 7.
In addition, Chinese authorities are discouraging people from traveling to the countryside, where communities are said to be poorly equipped to deal with the infection.
Hong Kong has reopened its secondary schools after three weeks of closures aimed at preventing the spread of SARS. Although the daily number of new cases has declined there, the World Health Organization says it is too early to consider the disease under control in Hong Kong.
Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong is threatening to jail people who violate SARS quarantine rules. In an open letter to the public, Mr. Goh called people who ignore the dangers of SARS "irresponsible."
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
This is because the business owners make frequent trips back and forth to China and Hong Kong for buying purposes and to visit family.
Leni
"I don't know?"
"Third Base!"
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