29 April 2003
WHO Drops Toronto from SARS Travel Warning List
(U.N. health agency reverses six-day-old decision) (860)
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced April 29 that it is
removing Toronto, Canada, from the list of places where travel is not
advised because of the danger of contracting severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS).
WHO included Toronto on its travel warning list April 23, putting
Canada's largest city in the same status as regions of China where
thousands of cases of the previously unknown flu-like disease have
emerged. Canadians denounced the WHO decision, saying their health
officials had taken significant actions to contain the outbreak, break
the chain of transmission, and prevent rampant movement of the virus
through the community.
An April 29 WHO press release said the agency noted three changes in
Toronto since it was first subjected to the travel warning: the
magnitude of probable SARS cases had decreased; no transmissions had
occurred in 20 days; and no new cases had been "exported" to other
areas.
WHO also reported another increase in the total number of SARS cases
around the world, now climbing to almost 5,500 in 27 countries.
Following is the text of the WHO press release:
(begin text)
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) -- Multi-country outbreak
Update 42
29 April 2003
Disease Outbreak Reported
Travel advice for Toronto, situation in China
WHO lifts travel advice for Toronto, effective tomorrow
WHO Director-General Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland announced this evening
that the travel advisory for Toronto will be lifted, effective
tomorrow.
Travel advisories for Beijing, Hong Kong SAR, and Guangdong and Shanxi
provinces, China, remain in effect.
Travel advisories are issued following consideration of several
factors, including the magnitude of probable SARS cases, the last
dates of cases of community transmission, and the last dates of export
of cases.
Dr Brundtland cited three changes in Toronto over the last week. The
magnitude of probable SARS cases has decreased. Twenty days have
passed since the last cases of community transmission occurred. No new
confirmed exportation of cases has occurred.
WHO has also been assured by Canadian authorities that pro-active
screening measures at airports will be implemented, as recommended by
WHO.
There is no change in Toronto's status as an "affected area." Viet
Nam, which is the first country to have contained its SARS outbreak,
was removed from the list of affected areas yesterday.
SARS is the first major new infectious disease of the 21st century and
is taking full advantage of the opportunities for rapid international
spread afforded by a closely interconnected and highly mobile society.
The purpose of travel advisories is to reduce opportunities for
further international spread of what is a new, severe, and poorly
understood infectious disease.
Travel advisories are reviewed daily. Advice is issued on the basis of
a set of epidemiological criteria. The risk to international public
health, which is the principal concern for WHO, occurs when the
magnitude and dynamics of an outbreak allow an infected person to slip
past control measures and undertake international travel, possibly
seeding an outbreak elsewhere.
Situation in China A total of 202 new probable SARS cases were
reported across China today, bringing the total number of cases in the
country to 3303. Nine deaths were also reported today.
Probable SARS cases have now been reported from 21 of China's 31
provinces. An additional four provinces have reported suspected cases.
Beijing continues to report a high number of SARS cases, with 152 new
probable cases and 9 deaths reported today. China's capital city now
has a cumulative total of 1347 probable cases and 59 deaths.
China's largest number of cumulative cases remains concentrated in
Guangdong Province, where the SARS outbreak began in mid-November.
Only 10% of these cases are current. As 1201 patients have been
discharged and 51 have died, there are less than 150 SARS cases
remaining in Guangdong's health care system.
In contrast, the rapidly growing number of new cases in Beijing
imposes a heavy burden on the health care system and particularly its
hospital capacity. In Beijing, 86% of cases (1198 cases) are current.
The situation in western China continues to be of concern. New
probable cases in Shanxi (23) and Inner Mongolia (7) increase the
cumulative totals to 266 and 120 respectively.
WHO is working with local health authorities in Beijing to review and
improve the data needed to better monitor the SARS situation and
assess the success of current control strategies. The WHO team of
experts also visited hospitals which will soon be opened as SARS
referral hospitals to assess their level of preparedness.
Update on cases and countries
As of today, a cumulative total of 5462 probable cases with 353 deaths
have been reported from 27 countries. This represents an increase of
226 new cases and 24 deaths when compared with yesterday.
Of the 226 new cases, 202 were reported today from China, of which 152
occurred in Beijing. Due to difficulties of information technology,
figures received from Chinese authorities yesterday were not included
in yesterday's cumulative update.
The 24 deaths occurred in Canada (2), China (9), Hong Kong SAR (12),
and Singapore (1).
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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