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| Number of SARS cases down, but vigilance still necessary |
| CCTV.COM 2003-05-31 13:05:17 |
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Thursday was the first time Beijing reported no new SARS cases since mid－March, a clear sign that SARS is being contained in the capital area. But the municipal government of Beijing warned during its ninth press conference on SARS since the outbreak of the disease that it's not the time to relax yet and that vigilance is still required to build upon its achievements so far.
The Director of the Publicity Department of the Beijing Party committee, Cai Fuchao, announced at Saturday morning's conference that new SARS cases in Beijing have been below 10 for 15 consecutive days. He said that, thanks to the nation－wide support and concerted efforts in the capital, no new SARS cases were reported on Thursday, an encouraging sign the current anti－SARS campaign has been effective.
In order to enhance the fight, Cai noted the city government has decided to adjust the current prevention measures. One of the most noteworthy adjustments, Cai pointed out was to transfer all hospitalized SARS patients to seven designated hospitals with better facilities and more experienced medical workers.
"Totally, the seven hospitals are capable of containing more than 25,000 SARS patients. At present, there are fewer than 14,000 patients in these hospitals. So we can transfer some 11,000 to these hospitals for better treatment. Originally, Beijing had 16 designated SARS hospitals. The others will not receive SARS patients from now on. But they will keep their facilities used in treating SARS," said Cai.
Cai noted that traditional Chinese medicine has contributed a lot to the recovery of many SARS patients. With combined treatments of medicine, Cai said many doctors were able to reduce the patients' fever period by two days. He added that none of the patients exhibited worsening symptoms after the combined medicine therapy. He added that there were good and bad things about everything, and even SARS has brought some positive changes in society.
"It's good to see so many families going on suburban excursions in Beijing for more fresh air. Kite－flying and jogging are helpful in building up people's immune system and keeping them positive－minded. Beijing's outdoor sports facilities were also kept open during the entire SARS period. And gyms will be open soon, if we manage to improve the situation," said Cai.
Cai announced that, altogether, more than 1 billion yuan, or some 120 million US dollars, has been spent on anti－SARS effort, including government investment and NGO donations. And he assured that the municipal government would provide subsidies for low income families. For farmers and rural migrant workers in Beijing, he said they could enjoy free medical treatment. Cai said public emergencies like the SARS outbreak improve the government's transparency and streamline its communication with the public.
"We fully guarantee the people's basic right to know everything about the SARS situation. We have held nine such special news conferences, not only for the media. It's important to let everyone know what's going on. We will make more efforts in this regard," said Cai.
Liang Wannian, deputy director of the city health bureau, said the success so far has shown the necessity of having sound prevention measures in place, as well as a mechanism for dealing with emergencies.
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Editor: Han Ling CCTV.com
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