The Ministry of Health yesterday reported 152 new cases and seven more deaths from SARS in Beijing.

Fang Fang, a resident of Beijing's eastern Chaoyang District, was a bit nervous a few weeks ago when the outbreak of the flu-like disease occurred. She stocked up on nutritious foods, drank herbal medicines and boiled vinegar to purify the air indoors, all reportedly useful measures in preventing infection.

She has now returned to her normal daily life, which includes work, going shopping at nearby vegetable markets and doing exercises, while keeping her house clean and maintaining her own personal hygiene.

"The government has reassured us so that we feel at ease and more relaxed," said Fang, who received regular updates about the SARS situation in the city and the nation from newspapers and on TV. There has been a significant rise in the number of people wearing masks and in the preventive measures implemented by the government.

The municipality has set up a joint task force comprising officials from relevant governmental departments. The commission, headed by Liu Qi, secretary of the Beijing Committee of the Communist Party of China, consists of four teams in charge of medical treatment, tracing, information and logistics.

The municipal government is releasing SARS information in a timely and regular manner. Reporting time limits have been imposed, with urban areas required to report cases within six hours and rural areas within 12 hours.

Top officials of districts or counties are required to sign all reports submitted to superiors and may be held accountable if data is found to be inaccurate or false.

Data collection and counting have been computerized, and lists of patients are re-corded in a precise manner.

The scope of information released to the public has been expanded. The Beijing municipal government has initiated a twice weekly news conference held respectively on Tuesdays and Fridays, during which leading officials brief the media on the latest developments.

Authorities make daily announcements about the number of patients hospitalized the previous day, the number of persons placed in isolation and the isolation sites.

Insiders say that the government has increased its ability to cope with emergencies as evidenced by the measures imposed. Panic buying took hold a few days ago as a result of rumors that the city would soon be isolated. Prices, however, came back down two days later as the government arranged emergency production and transport to ensure ample supply of daily necessities.

Liu Qi called the efforts against SARS a "people's war," referring to the fact all people and governmental departments have gotten involved.

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2003)