And key exit-entry ports have also been equipped to detect and thwart planned acts of biochemical terrorism, the State Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine officials told a press conference.

"Over the past few months, we've required exit-entry travelers to accept temperature screening, fill out health declaration cards and undergo medical checks if necessary to limit the spread of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)," said Wang Qinping, vice-minister of the State agency.

These measures will continue to be implemented despite the nation's success in its battle against the disease, Wang said.

On Tuesday, the World Health Organization removed Beijing from its list of SARS-infected areas and lifted its travel advisory against the city, which recorded the largest number of SARS cases in the world.

But since a host of questions about the flu-like infection - such as its origins and transmission channels - are yet to be answered, the screening procedures must be retained to prevent its recurrence, Wang said.

To prevent SARS from entering into or spreading from China, the country's quarantine staff checked the body temperatures of 24.68 million passengers between late April and June 24, according to the agency's statistics. Of those, 8,833 showed symptoms similar to those of SARS.

As a result, 624 suspected cases were transferred to hospitals. Five were finally confirmed as SARS patients.

Wang declined to say for how long these quarantine measures will continue. He appealed to the public to support the precautions.

Apart from anti-SARS equipment, China's exit-entry ports, especially important ones, have also set up laboratories and other facilities to deal with biochemical weapons and thwart terrorist activities, revealed Ge Zhirong, another vice-minister of the State quarantine agency.

The new facilities were introduced following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, he said.

Wang said his agency will also do its best to help Chinese businesses improve quality control to expand foreign trade damaged by the SARS epidemic.

(China Daily June 27, 2003)