Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called for substantial national efforts
for coordination in combating severe acute respiratory syndrome
(SARS).
Premier Wen made the call in written instructions to a meeting
Tuesday in Beijing of the National SARS Prevention and Control
Headquarters to discuss beefing up SARS control in Beijing and
surrounding areas.
He
urged an exchanges of experience on SARS prevention and control so
as to avoid repeating errors caused by inadequate preventive
measures in some areas, and setting up a coordination mechanism to
prevent the spread of SARS.
Speaking at the meeting, Vice-Premier Wu Yi ordered treating SARS
control in the Chinese capital and its adjacent areas in unison,
saying that these areas have to unite in combating SARS
epidemic.
Wu, also head of the National SARS Prevention and Control
Headquarters, urged Beijing and other places suffering seriously
from the SARS outbreaks to reinforce their control over outgoing
personnel so as to prevent SARS from spreading, particularly to
rural areas.
She also urged increasing quarantine equipment and facilities at
airports, railway stations, ports and major means of transport and
arousing and mobilizing social forces in building a SARS monitoring
network.
Meanwhile, the vice-premier said, the economic work would continue,
and the normal order in transportation and daily life and social
stability have to be maintained.
Municipal officials in charge of SARS control in the city of
Beijing and surrounding areas, including Beijing and Tianjin
municipalities, neighboring Hebei and Shanxi provinces and the
Inner Mongolian autonomous region, and members of the National SARS
Prevention and Control Headquarters addressed the meeting.
(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2003)