An additional 900 million yuan (US$108 million) will be given to
spur the development of illness control institutions in central and
western areas of China to prevent the spread of severe acute
respiratory syndrome (
SARS).
The State Development and Reform Commission said Sunday the total
fund will reach 2.9 billion yuan (US$349 million).
An
illness prevention and control network will also be completed by
the end of this year, it stated.
The nation will also allocate 600 million yuan (US$72.3 million) to
support the first phase of the national center of disease
prevention and control, sources said.
Starting today, all passengers taking domestic flights are required
to file a report of their health status before going through
boarding procedures, according to sources with the General
Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC).
Yang Yuanyuan, head of CAAC, said departments must adopt measures
to prevent the potential spread of SARS via aircraft.
Passengers should list the nations and cities they have visited
during the past fortnight and must report to the airport
authorities if they are suffering from coughs, fevers or have
breathing difficulties.
Travel agencies, hotels, bus and shipping companies and the railway
sector in China have taken preventive measures to halt the spread
of SARS, Xinhua reported.
The Capital Taxi Company in Beijing strengthened sanitary and
ventilation measures and provided taxi drivers with disinfectant
and gloves.
The company has spent 800,000 yuan (US$96,600) on sterilization to
provide a comparatively safe environment for passengers and to
ensure the health of employees.
No
SARS cases have been found among the 7,000 employees, according to
company general manager Yang Heping.
Travel agencies have undertaken similar sanitary work in offices
and transportation vehicles. Tourist guides are reminding customers
to take necessary precautionary measures.
All of China's tourist enterprises will do their utmost to prevent
the spread of SARS through travel, said Zhang Xiqin, vice-director
of China National Tourism Administration.
The railways department has adopted emergency measures to prevent
SARS and trains entering Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou will be
under strengthened supervision.
In
another development, all colleges and universities are being urged
to draft contingency plans on SARS prevention and control as well
to set up counter-emergency mechanisms to prevent the transition of
the fatal virus on campuses, said a notice issued by the Ministry
of Education over the weekend.
Education administration officials in Beijing have issued a formal
notice to adopt strict measures to prevent the spread of SARS in
middle and primary schools and kindergartens.
Schools and kindergartens suspected of having pupils or staff
infected with SARS can choose the temporary suspension of classes,
it said.
Knowledge on SARS should be promoted among staff and students to
enhance their self-protection.
Measures should be taken to ensure the ventilation and regular
sterilization of key buildings on campuses such as student
dormitories, dining halls, classrooms, labs and libraries.
(People's Daily April 21, 2003)