China´s Foreign Ministry: China is safe

cctv.com 01-07-2004 09:46

China's first confirmed SARS patient this winter is now in a stable condition and is expected to be discharged from hospital this week. The patient, Mr. Li, says he is feeling "very well" and may leave hospital on Thursday.

Meantime the Chinese government has stepped up its monitoring system across China to prevent a resurgence of the deadly disease. And the Foreign Ministry is reassuring the world that China is still a safe place to travel.

Results from laboratory tests over the weekend have finally confirmed that a 32-year-old television producer in Guangdong contracted the SARS corona virus. To head off public fear and negative fallout, the Chinese government has sent a message to the rest of the world that the country is still perfectly safe.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said: "As you can see, the Chinese government, the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization are satisfied with how the SARS control system is working. So foreign expatriates living in China, travelers and Chinese citizens will not be exposed to danger. We should be vigilant, but there is no need to panic. All the prevention measures are quite effective."

One case does not constitute an immediate public-health threat, but precautions must continue. China's health Ministry has now strengthened their surveillance systems.

This time, China has reacted swiftly with early detection, isolation of the cases and timely contact tracing. So far, all the 81 identified contacts are reported to be well and have shown no signs of SARS. Guangzhou is now checking temperatures of travelers passing through airports.

In neighboring Hong Kong, communication links with the mainland have been strengthened with reporting of all pneumonia cases where patients have visited Guangdong ten days prior to falling ill. The local health authorities also require quick tests on samples of all pneumonia cases that develop in the community and have increased publicity on SARS prevention measures.

The World Health Organization has recently lauded China's efforts in combating the disease. But to prevent the recurrence of the SARS outbreak, practices seen in Guangdong and its neighboring areas must be consistent throughout China.

Editor:Zheng  Source:CCTV.com