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| Canadian govt. promises help for Ontario in coping with SARS |
| CCTV.COM 2003-04-23 14:04:51 |
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Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien has pledged that the federal government will offer help to Ontario Province in its fight against SARS.
Ontario is Canada's hardest hit province, where a total of 259 suspected cases of the disease and 14 deaths have been reported.
Ontario Premier Ernie Eves told reporters Tuesday that he had urged the federal government to work out a stronger national SARS strategy and play a more direct and active role in providing financial assistance to those affected. Chretien had assured him of help, he said.
Eves said Chretien was willing to look at waiving the two－week waiting period for employment insurance benefits, a measure which Ontario Labor Minister Brad Clark said was already in place.
Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman, whose city is the hardest hit area in Canada, called for provincial and federal money and health－care resources to deal with the disease.
Also on Tuesday, officials from Health Canada said experts from around the world will gather next week in Canada to discuss ways to fight the disease.
Representatives from the World Health Organization, the United States Center for Disease Control, the Pan－American Health Organization, Canada and Britain will attend the meeting, said Dr. Paul Gully of Health Canada.
"We've been at this for a number of weeks. We feel that this would be helpful, not only to Canada, but internationally as well," Gully said.
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Editor: Yang Feiyang Source:Xinhua
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