Sars crisis deepens in Taiwan

The Sars crisis has deepened in Taiwan, where health officials have reported a record number of new cases for the second day in a row.

There were four deaths recorded on Sunday, taking the total on the island to 40, as well as 36 new cases – the biggest one-day jump in infections. On Saturday, 34 new cases were registered there. Meanwhile Singapore – which has the world’s fourth highest Sars death toll but had hoped to be declared free of the illness – reported its first new case in 20 days on Sunday. Sars has killed 633 people worldwide and infected more than 7,800 people – mostly in Asia – since it first emerged in southern China in November. Epidemiologists from 16 Sars-hit regions, meeting in Geneva, agreed that most of the world’s outbreaks are coming under control – although difficult struggles remain, especially in mainland China and Taiwan. HOTSPOTS: KNOWN DEATH TOLLS Mainland China: 284Hong Kong: 247Taiwan: 40 Singapore: 28 Canada: 23 Source: WHO/local health authoritiesGlobal update Migrant workers flee Another 28 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Sunday – but this is the lowest daily increase since the government began issuing regular figures. There were two new deaths, both in Beijing. President Hu Jintao has again stressed that China wants to work with the rest of the world to eliminate Sars. “We are ready to further strengthen our co-operation with Russia and the whole international community in prevention and treatment of Sars,” he told Russia’s Interfax news agency. Mr Hu said he believed the disease could be beaten through additional financing, improved research and better co-ordination. China has been criticised for under-reporting the extent of its outbreak of the disease. In Hong Kong, more infections have been reported, for the 15th consecutive day. And four more people in the territory have died from the disease, raising the total there to 247. In Singapore, hopes that the Sars crisis was over faded after tests showed a patient isolated in hospital had the disease – the first new case for 20 days. “We don’t know when he was infected or where he was infected,” Khaw Boon Wan, a minister and member of a Singapore Sars task force told reporters. The World Health Organization has stipulated that a country should go without a new infection for 20 days – twice the incubation period of the disease – for its outbreak to be declared contained. Taiwan resignation But, despite the encouraging trends elsewhere, Taiwan’s problem keeps getting worse. Sars has killed 40 people out of a total of 344 infections in Taiwan and the country’s health minister resigned on Friday to take responsibility for the spiralling crisis. About 30% of Sars patients are medical workers, officials said. The new health minister, Chen Chien-jen, said he believed that a Taiwanese doctor from Taipei who went on holiday in Japan earlier this month did not know he was infected when he travelled. The doctor sought treatment for fever after he returned to Taiwan last Tuesday and tested positive for Sars on Saturday. “Many of our medical workers have worked extremely hard these days and there is nothing wrong with having some rest and entertainment,” Chen said. “But, if possible, I hope they will not travel abroad at this time … to avoid exporting the virus.” (Source: BBC, Sunday, 18 May, 2003, 13:12 GMT 14:12 UK)