Hong Kong beats Sars

China has seen thousands recover from the disease

China has seen thousands recover from the disease The World Health Organization is set to declare Hong Kong free of Sars on Monday, 20 days after the last confirmed transmission of the disease in the city. The WHO called the development a “very significant achievement in the history of Sars control”, following 296 deaths in the city. The Canadian city of Toronto, on the other hand, reported two new Sars deaths on Sunday, bringing its total to 38. Canada is the only country outside Asia to have reported Sars fatalities. Sunday’s deaths were of a 55-year-old man and an 81-year-old woman, the government said. They came only a day after Toronto held a six-hour concert to boost spirits in the face of the epidemic. Avril Lavigne performed at the Concert for Toronto The concert’s 70,000 tickets sold out in a matter of hours, with acts such as Avril Lavigne, Diana Krall and Barenaked Ladies on the programme. As Hong Kong welcomed its removal from the list of locations affected by Sars, it also mourned the second hospital doctor to have been killed by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Dr Cheng Ha-yan, 30, was buried with honours at Gallant Garden, a special graveyard for those who died performing their duties with courage. Dr Cheng – the eighth health care worker in Hong Kong to die of Sars – had volunteered to work in a Sars ward. His funeral was attended by the territory’s chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, as well as Health Secretary Yeoh Eng-kiong and Dr William Ho, the chief executive of the Hospital Authority. Advisory liftedA total of 1,755 people contracted Sars in Hong Kong since the outbreak began about four months ago. There are still 28 in hospital – including 11 in intensive care – but 1,410 people recovered and were released from hospital. The former British colony was taken off the WHO travel advisory list in late May. At the moment, the Chinese capital Beijing is the only location under a WHO travel advisory. Mainland China has reported 347 Sars deaths out of 5,326 cases. (Source: BBC, Sunday, 22 June, 2003, 22:22 GMT 23:22 UK)