In the notices issued Saturday and Sunday, the ministry required all hospitals to designate departments and personnel to specialize in work such as disinfecting, isolating and monitoring. Outpatient departments dealing with patients with fever and isolation rooms must be kept separate from other outpatients and treatment rooms. SARS patients must be strictly isolated and not be allowed to leave their designated areas. Doctors and nurses must take all necessary individual preventative measures according to relevant rules before they enter SARS patients areas.

The notices also said high-calibre doctors and nurses should be chosen for the treatment of serious patients to reduce the number of SARS deaths.

Earlier, the Health Ministry and Civil Affairs Ministry also issued a joint notice, asking for on-the-spot cremation of the bodies of SARS patients. Transportation of corpses has been banned in an effort to minimize the spread of the deadly virus.

The Chinese ministry of commerce has issued a notice asking for all departments concerned to take measures to secure sufficient supply on the country's markets to meet public demand.

The notice, issued on Sunday, asked enterprises to increase their production of daily necessities, especially much needed products such as gauze masks and disinfectants. The notice also asks for strict price inspections on the market and the imposition of harsh punishments on illegal activities such as producing fake goods, hoarding and jacking up prices.

Chinese leaders have called for all local governments and departments concerned to strengthen their efforts in curbing the spread of SARS.

Chinese vice president Zeng Qinghong, vice premier Huang Ju and the Public Security Minister Zhou Yongkang stressed on different occasions that effective measures must be taken to disinfect all public places and public transportation.

In Beijing, the municipal government is taking intense measures to curb the spread of SARS virus to other places outside the capital. Trains, buses and airlines to and from Beijing continue to be disinfected. Within the city, on Saturday, all entertainment venues such as theatres, video rooms and Internet bars were ordered to shut down temporarily in a bid to combat the virus.

China's new health minister began work by warning officials to come clean over SARS or face punishment.

China is also taking steps to curb the spread of the SARS virus to rural areas.

Yang Weizhong, the official in charge of the country's disease control, said Saturday that there are worrying reports that rural labourers in some big cities are returning home, which may exacerbate the spread of SARS.

To curb the wider spread of the deadly virus, the Chinese government is urging rural labourers to stay in cities and helping them to actively adopt individual preventative measures. Besides this, relevant departments are increasing inspections aboard trains and long-distance buses and taking the temperatures of passengers. People who are found to have abnormal body conditions will be isolated and treated instantly. Labourers who have returned home have also been asked to register with their local governments.

Yang Weizhong says the Chinese government has set aside about 250-million US dollars for SARS prevention and the treatment of patients with the disease. The funds will also be used to help treat SARS patients who have difficulty meeting medical payments.

In Beijing, reports say people in quarantined areas are now in good spirits and their daily needs are being met.

Renmin Hospital affiliated to Peking University was the first area to be quarantined. The hospital provides three meals a day for isolated people free of charge.

Beijing's Haidian district has also set up a special working group and allocated special funds to ensure the normal day to day lives of people under quarantine.

Southern China's Hainan Province has suspended all flights and charter flights to Hong Kong, Macao and southeast Asian countries since the beginning of April in an effort to prevent the spread of SARS on the island.

Flights departing from Meilan Airport in Haikou, capital of the province, and Fenghuang Airport in Sanya to the above-mentioned destinations and to South Korea have been cancelled.

Stop-overs by overseas passenger cruise ships in Hainan will also be suspended, and foreign cargo ships will be prohibited from docking at Xiuying port and at Macun port in Haikou.

The total number of severe acute respiratory syndrome cases on the Chinese mainland rose to 2,914 by 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.

According to statistics released by the Ministry of Health, a total of 1,299 SARS patients have been discharged from hospitals upon recovery, and 131 SARS patients have died.

From 10:00 a.m. Saturday to 10:00 a.m. Sunday, China reported 161 new SARS cases, 14 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovering, and 9 died.

The total number of SARS cases in Beijing rose to 1,114; among them 78 have been discharged from hospitals and 56 have died.

From 10:00 a.m. Saturday to 10:00 a.m. Sunday, Beijing reported 126 new SARS cases, two patients were discharged from hospitals and eight died.

In Hong Kong, a total of 36 SARS patients were discharged from hospitals Sunday upon recovery.

According to a press release jointly issued by the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority, there is an additional 16 patients confirmed to have SARS following admission to public hospitals earlier, including two healthcare workers.

A total of 668 patients have recovered from SARS and have been discharged from public hospitals so far. There are also 115 recovering patients who are in convalescence and preparation for discharge.

Most of the SARS patients currently in hospitals are showing positive responses to the new treatment protocol. One hundred patients are receiving treatment in intensive care units.

(CRI April 28, 2003)