Zhu Shanlu, member of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), introduced SARS prevention and treatment conditions in the educational system of Beijing at a regular press conference this morning. Zhu briefed both Chinese and overseas media that from the beginning of April to 10:00 am May 19, only 391 SARS cases (292 students and 99 teaching and administrative staff) had been reported in the circle of education in Beijing. Among them, 38 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital, and 16 had died.

Zhu Shanlu, also deputy head of the preventing and controlling group of the Beijing SARS Control Working Group, said that through the successful efforts of the city, the epidemic situation in the educational system, as part of the city-wide trend, had been contained effectively with the daily reported new confirmed SARS cases featuring a drop in numbers. The figures remain in single digits. Full-time institutions of higher education and universities in Beijing had reported no new cases for 11 days.

Students have already become a group with a low incidence of the epidemic, instead of being a group of a high incidence initially, ranking sixth to eighth from second to third at first, said Zhu.

Currently, students in primary schools, high schools and universities live calmly. The adjustment and resumption of teaching and educational plans are being carried out in line with relevant schedules.

Beijing has 3 million students and teaching and administrative staff, including 2.8 million students studying in schools of various levels and types.

(China.org.cn by Zhang Tingting May 20, 2003)