The World Health Organization (WHO) issued advisories against non-essential travel to several areas around the world during the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and listed them as areas affected by SARS.
The SARS-affected areas as declared by WHO were Singapore, Toronto in Canada, Hanoi in Vietnam, and Beijing, Tianjin, Guangdong, Shanxi, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong and Taiwan in China.
Hanoi: A total of 63 probable cases of SARS were reported, withthe last case reported on April 14. The disease killed five patients in the Vietnamese capital. WHO removed Hanoi from the list of areas affected by SARS on April 28, making the city the first area worldwide to put the deadly disease under control.
Singapore: The number of reported probable SARS cases stood at 206, and the last case was reported on May 18. A total of 31 people died from the disease. On May 30, WHO declared Singapore SARS-free, a day earlier than the WHO criteria for removal from list of SARS-affected areas.
Chinese mainland: Probable SARS cases totaled 5,326, with the last case reported on June 11. The death toll from SARS stood at 347. On May 23, WHO lifted the travel advisory against Guangdong. On June 13, the travel advisory against Tianjin, Shanxi, Hebei andInner Mongolia were also lifted. WHO lifted Beijing's travel advisory and took the city off the list of SARS-affected areas at the same time on June 24.
China's Hong Kong: Health authorities recorded 1,755 probable SARS cases and reported the last case on June 11. The death toll from the virus was 296. WHO lifted travel advisory against Hong Kong on May 23 and removed it from the list of SARS-affected areason June 23.
China's Taiwan: A total of 692 probable SARS cases have been reported so far. The most recent case was reported on June 19. TheSARS virus has killed 84 patients on the Chinese island. WHO lifted travel advisory against Taiwan on June 17, but the island remains on the WHO list of SARS-affected areas.
Toronto: So far, 246 probable SARS cases have been recorded in Canada's largest city. The most recent one was reported on June 20.The death toll from the virus was 35. The city was taken off the list of SARS-affected areas on May 14, but due to resurge of SARS outbreak, WHO put Toronto back on the list on May 26.
(Xinhua News Agency June 25, 2003)
