China announced nine new severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) deaths yesterday as its premier met Southeast Asian leaders at an emergency summit to win back international trust after weeks of cover-up accusations and amid economic worries.
At the summit, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that SARS could yet become an endemic disease if further outbreaks are not contained.
Hong Kong said it had another 12 fatalities, and three more nations -- Mongolia, South Korea and New Zealand -- joined the list of places with SARS infections.
The new SARS deaths brought the worldwide toll to at least 354. There have been more than 5,300 infections reported in over 20 countries.
Singapore, which is enforcing tough anti-SARS measures after 23 recent deaths, reported a 71 percent drop in visitor arrivals. Much tourist and business travel across Asia has dried up.
The WHO says the incidence of SARS probably has peaked in many places, but it fears the situation is worsening in China, where 200 new infections were also announced yesterday.
To prevent the disease from becoming endemic, all affected governments must enforce meticulous screening to detect every new case of SARS, David Heymann, the WHO's chief of communicable diseases, told the summit yesterday.
The summit was held to devise ways to deal with SARS, which has taken a heavy toll on the economies of the 10 countries forming ASEAN.
The summit is meant "to instill confidence among people around the world and show them that the region has come together to work closely and respond to this problem and has the situation under control," Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told reporters.
The countries' leaders pledged to keep their borders and economies open despite the crisis, according to a joint draft declaration that was to be issued at the end of summit.
They also agreed to set up an information network as one of 20 measures that were to be agreed upon at the summit, the draft said.
The draft declaration said the leaders recognize "the need for members to take individual and collective responsibility to implement stringent measures to control and contain the spread of SARS."
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Heymann, who on Monday had said that the worst is over for Hong Kong, Singapore, Toronto and Vietnam, said yesterday there is no reason to celebrate yet.
RSS