Top priority for areas with a very few number or no Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) cases is to beef up SARS prevention work and increase precautions against any possible occurrence, Premier Wen Jiabao said while inspecting a disease prevention and control center in southwestern Yunnan province.

Premier Wen visited and extended regards to the front-line medical workers on behalf of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, inspected a SARS information network, and listened to the working report of the Yunnan provincial government on SARS prevention work during a stopover Monday evening on his way to Bangkok for the Association of Southeast Asian Nation Leaders' Special meeting on SARS.

Noting that Yunnan has made great efforts for SARS prevention work and that no SARS cases have been spotted in the province, Wen said, however, local residents should still be on high alert.

On the subject of SARS prevention work, Wen acknowledged that it should be based on science and the people. He urged the general public to study "The Law of the People's Republic of China on Epidemic Prevention", and said that economic progress should not be neglected during the SARS prevention and treatment campaign.

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2003)