SARS Ravages Hong Kong, Airline May Ground Fleet

Hong Kong’s leader said the deadly SARS virus has not yet been brought under effective control in the territory………..

Hong Kong’s leader said the deadly SARS virus has not yet been brought under effective control in the territory………..Hong Kong’s leader said the deadly SARS virus has not yet been brought under effective control in the territory, where infections have jumped sharply. Airline Cathay Pacific said it may ground its passenger fleet. A Canadian lab offered a ray of hope that an effective vaccine could be developed for the mystery virus that has killed 132 people and infected 3,200 across the world, but health experts say it may be months or even years away. Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa told Chinese President Hu Jintao in China’s southern city of Shenzen the virus had yet to be effectively controlled in the territory of 7 million. Hu’s low-profile visit to Guangdong province over the weekend was only disclosed by the Chinese state media on Sunday. It was the strongest indication yet of how seriously the Chinese leadership views the worsening health crisis in Hong Kong. “The Chief Executive (Tung) said while it could not be said at the present stage that the disease had been brought under effective control, the government now basically understood the nature of the disease, its mode of transmission and how best to treat it,” the statement said late on Sunday. The number of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) cases in Hong Kong soared to 1,150 and its death toll hit 40, with five succumbing on Sunday, the largest jump in the death toll in weeks. The flu-like disease, which usually worsens rapidly into pneumonia, has been carried by travelers to about 20 countries around the world in the past six weeks after first showing up in Guangdong in November 2002. Singapore reported three new deaths from the virus on Sunday, taking its toll to 12. It announced the quarantining of 400 staff and patients at its biggest hospital. Singapore has issued electronic wrist tags to track those under quarantine, as Asian countries take tough measures to screen out travelers showing symptoms of the disease and try to contain a disease that is taking a toll on their economies. The virus, which is new to science and has no known cure, has hit hospital staff the hardest, putting healthcare systems under strain. Health officials say they are still not sure exactly how the virus spreads, although close contact with an infected person appears to be the main method of transmission Its impact on business has been merciless. The illness has crippled tourism in Asia and forced airlines to cuts flights sharply. Economists say the longer the crisis lasts the deeper it will eat into the region’s economies and it could push some, including Hong Kong, back into recession. Cathay Pacific GroundingOn Sunday, Asia’s fourth-largest carrier, Cathay Pacific Airways, said it would not rule out grounding its entire passenger fleet next month if passenger numbers continue to fall. Hong Kong-based Cathay, which is carrying only a third of its usual traffic volume, said in an internal memo that the company was losing US$3 million a day. “If demand falls still further, we will have to respond accordingly,” said Tony Tyler, director of corporate development. “Clearly we can’t rule out any particular course of action, but we will respond to circumstances.” A Canadian laboratory said on Sunday it had broken the genetic sequence behind the SARS virus. The Michael Smith Genome Sciences Center in British Columbia said this could help speed development of a reliable diagnostic test and eventually an effective vaccine. Canada, which has the third-largest number of SARS cases, said its death toll had risen to 13 with more than 270 probable or suspected cases of infection. Thousands have been quarantined. Long HaulSingapore’s primary schools reopened on Monday after having been closed since late last month, as the government tried to prepare the tiny city-state for life with the disease. “We are in this for the long haul,” Health Minister Lim Hng Kian said when asked if the virus was under control in Singapore. Affected countries have taken dramatic control measures, from home quarantine for thousands of suspected cases to banning tourists from China. Malaysia banned Chinese tourists last week. In response, Beijing advised travel agencies not to organize tours to SARS-infected areas such as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, local media said. It did not ask operators to halt trips to Hong Kong. Late on Saturday Malaysia temporarily lifted travel curbs on visitors from Hong Kong, Vietnam and Canada. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the epidemic was being contained elsewhere in the world but it was worried about the ability of some infected areas of China to recognize and control the illness. China says 59 people have died of SARS and more than 1,300 are infected. The illness has spread to a number of provincial areas, most recently to impoverished Inner Mongolia. WHO issued an advisory this month against travel to southern China and Hong Kong. The measure has further cut the number of people traveling to Hong Kong, one of Asia’s main financial centers and top tourist destinations. Hard-hit Cathay is carrying roughly 10,000 passengers daily, down from 30,000 in ordinary circumstances. Singapore Airlines, Asia’s most profitable carrier, has reduced its flights by 20 percent since the onset of the epidemic.(Source: Reuters; Tan Ee Lyn; Sun April 13, 2003 11:49 PM ET)