Beijing on alert against SARS comeback

cctv.com 12-20-2003 09:45

With the coming of winter, many people in China are concerned about a possible comeback of SARS. Beijing is on high alert after a laboratory researcher from Taiwan was confirmed to have contracted the deadly virus.

All municipal entry-exit inspection and quarantine departments and hospitals in Beijing have strengthened SARS prevention and monitoring measures.

Earlier in the week錛宼emperature screening systems were re-activated at Beijing's capital airport and railway stations. Health officials say all the hospitals in the city have initiated clinical procedures to detect any signs of SARS as early as possible and prevent the spread of the disease.

The new equipment includes a system introduced from the United States which can rule out fever cases caused by flu or pneumonia.

Beijing health official Jin Dapeng said, "Beijing's state of readiness is very different now to that of Spring this year. We are well prepared to prevent and control the SARS epidemic."

Meanwhile, The Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology announced that China has had no lab-related SARS cases. The Ministry has issued two provisional measures on SARS virus research, banning disqualified labs, unauthorized researchers, unproven research activities, unauthorized virus preservation, and specimen smuggling.

Editor:Xiao  Source:CCTV.com