The decision to isolate individuals, hospitals, schools and other sites exposed to the virus comes as Premier Wen Jiabao prepares to attend a regional summit on SARS.

Beijing had recorded 89 new cases of SARS, including four deaths, in the 24 hours to 8pm Wednesday. The total number of cases in the capital had reached 774, the Ministry of Health said Thursday.

They included 64 patients who had been discharged from hospital upon recovery and 39 patients who had died, the ministry's information office said.

Across the Chinese mainland, 2,422 people had contracted SARS and 110 had died of the disease as of 8pm Wednesday.

The local government has stepped up its fight against SARS by enforcing stricter quarantine measures.

A circular issued by the Beijing municipal government on Wednesday said all SARS patients and those suspected of being infected, along with animals and areas which may have been exposed to the virus, would be isolated.

Places infected by the virus that require quarantine include hospitals, factories, construction sites, hotels, restaurants, office buildings, residential buildings, villages, schools and other designated places, according to the circular.

One of Beijing's biggest hospitals, which is located near the Ministry of Health, was among the first units to be isolated.

The 1,200-bed People's Hospital, affiliated to the Peking University, stopped admitting new patients and was sealed off because of SARS Thursday. Police were posted to stop people going in or out of the complex.

The circular, which took effect on April 23, states that municipal or district health departments have the authority to determine who and which places require quarantine, and to make their names public.

It also stipulates that the government will cover the necessary expenses for quarantine.

The circular was formulated in accordance with China's Law on the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, which now includes SARS on its list of contagious diseases.

People who refuse to co-operate with the relevant departments can be forced to comply, and those who violate related laws and regulations will be punished, the circular warns.

The most severe breaches of the law will result in up to seven years' imprisonment.

The epidemic has prompted Premier Wen Jiabao to fly to Bangkok on Tuesday for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting on SARS.

Leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries will discuss ways of co-operation to better combat the disease.

In Beijing, supermarkets reported a roaring trade as shelves were stripped of rice, instant noodles and cooking oil as rumours swirled that the city would be isolated.

Vice-Minister of Commerce Zhang Zhigang said the Chinese Government has taken effective measures to guarantee the market supply of 11 commodities, most of which are daily necessities.

Vice-Premier Wu Yi Thursday urged everyone to unite and take an active part in fighting the deadly disease.

A national network should be established to organize and encourage residents to control the spread of the virus and eventually eliminate it, she said on national television.

The Ministry of Education now also requires that local education authorities immediately report any cases of foreign students with the virus to the ministry's International Department.

The contact number is 010-66011917. Chen Yinghui, an official with the department, can also be contacted via mobile telephone 13521313908.

Beijing education authorities also required that all college students should not leave Beijing during the coming May holiday without permission.

(China Daily April 25, 2003)