Hong Kong drops off SARS list

The World Health Organization (WHO) removed Hong Kong from its list of SARS-affected areas yesterday, but warned the territory to keep up its guard against future outbreaks that might put it back on the list.

Hong Kong's great concern is to avoid a repeat of what happened in Toronto, where a new outbreak was discovered after Canada's largest city was taken off the WHO's list. Two people died of SARS on Sunday in Toronto.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (董建華) said the territory was "of course happy" about the WHO announcement, but he expressed sadness over nearly 300 deaths from the disease and cautioned, "this could come again."

Hong Kong's removal from the list was expected. Sunday was the 20th day since the last confirmed SARS patient in Hong Kong was put in isolation in a hospital, the condition that qualified the territory to be taken off the list.

Only Beijing, Taiwan and Canada's largest city, Toronto, remain on the list following the ebbing worldwide of the SARS crisis since its peak in March and April. China said yesterday it had recorded no new SARS cases for 12 days and Taiwan said it has had no new cases for six days -- while neither had any new SARS deaths.

WHO credited old-fashioned quarantines with breaking the back of the outbreak.

"Hong Kong, with its dense population and fluid border with China, had one of the hardest outbreaks to control. This success means that the whole world can now feel safer from the SARS threat," Dr. David Heymann, chief of communicable diseases at the Geneva-based WHO, said in a statement.

SARS killed more than 800 people, most of them in Asia, since the disease emerged in southern China last November.

More 8,400 were sickened in more than two dozen countries before the outbreak was controlled worldwide with officials isolating patients and screening travelers for the SARS symptoms of fever, dry cough and aches.

Still, street parties and minor events were planned to mark the occasion. Bars in the popular Lan Kwai Fong district planned to serve free champagne. Women in colorful carnival costumes danced on the waterfront; lion dancers prepared to perform.

But in general, celebrations were muted. Top officials reportedly felt that anything elaborate would be inappropriate given the toll the disease has taken on Hong Kong's people and its economy.

Tung the occasion by visiting Amoy Gardens, a crowded housing estate where more than 300 people fell sick with SARS before strict quarantines brought an outbreak there under control.

"Every time I think about those who passed away or sacrificed because of SARS I feel a great deal of sorrow," Tung said.

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Country to be cut from SARS list, health officials say