China reports SARS cluster outbreak in Beijing residential area

Dozens of people have been quarantined in a Beijing housing development where at least four SARS cases have been reported in what a World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman said yesterday could be a type of concentrated outbreak so far not seen in the hard-hit Chinese capital.

The Beiyuan Gardens development on Beijing's eastern suburbs also has five more suspected SARS cases, said officials with the district and township SARS-control departments.

It wasn't immediately clear when the cases occurred, but Chinese health officials have been warning against relaxing anti-disease measures despite rapidly falling numbers of newly reported cases.

Beijing has suffered more than 2,500 SARS cases -- about half of China's total. Numbers of newly reported cases in the Chinese capital have dropped rapidly in recent weeks, though the WHO is questioning whether health officials are investigating thoroughly enough to record all of the city's cases.

One case at Beiyuan Gardens was diagnosed on May 26 and cleaners are disinfecting the area, said an official of the Laiguanying township SARS office, who identified himself only by the surname Li. He said he didn't know the dates of the other cases.

Ten people who had contact with those sickened have been moved to quarantine centers to watch for symptoms, Li said. He said dozens of others have been told to stay home and watch for signs of the disease.

Beiyuan Gardens has several thousand residents and it wasn't immediately clear whether the reported SARS cases there were people who lived in houses or apartments.

Several other residential communities in the area also had SARS cases or suspected cases, said an official with the Chaoyang district anti-SARS office, who identified himself only as Mr. Sheng.

Those cases have been reported to the Beijing Health Bureau, but the locations weren't publicized "for fear of sparking panic," Sheng said.

Bob Dietz, a WHO spokesman in Beijing, said that if the figures are accurate, "it sounds like a possible cluster" of SARS cases.

However, China has said it had no new SARS cases and no deaths from the disease yesterday for the first time since it began issuing daily figures in April.

Meanwhile, a private hospital in Hong Kong acknowledged yesterday it withheld information about suspected SARS cases and fired its chief executive following an outbreak of the disease that sickened 13 people, one of whom died.

The territory reported no new SARS deaths for the first time since April 4 and only one new infection.

The Baptist Hospital ran newspaper advertisements announcing that Dr. Tsang Chin-wah had been "relieved of his duties" as of May 26.

Hong Kong Health Director Dr. Margaret Chan criticized the hospital earlier this week for failing to follow official instructions to report cases of SARS.

The disease has infected 1,748 people in the territory, and killed 283.

Chan warned that authorities would closely watch the Baptist Hospital while it considered whether to renew its license at year's end.

Patients complained that hospital officials delayed telling them about suspected SARS cases and didn't take precautions to prevent the virus from spreading.

In other developments, Singapore will begin distributing 1.1 million SARS "toolkits" containing surgical masks and digital thermometers today as part of the government's efforts to prevent further outbreaks today.

Every household in the island nation is expected to receive a toolkit by July 11, according to a statement issued yesterday by the People's Association, a government organization that works to bring citizens closer to the government.