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Government reacts to new SARS case treated in Singapore

Premier Yu Shyi-kun directed the Department of Health yesterday to do whatever necessary to prevent another outbreak of SARS after a man in Singapore was diagnosed as having the feared disease.

"The Department of Health must adopt effective SARS-prevention measures based upon the country's experience in combating the potentially deadly epidemic earlier this year," the premier said.

Yu also called on the department and the Environmental Protection Administration to help local governments promote prevention work against malaria, including exterminating mosquitos, monitoring imported cases and training experts in malaria prevention.

Earlier this week a man in Taitung County became the first locally transmitted case of malaria in the country in 38 years.

Yu issued the instructions at a Cabinet meeting, during which Department of Health Director-General Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) delivered a briefing on the new probable SARS case in Singapore and the malaria case.

Chen said there were no signs malaria had spread.

Touching on the Singapore SARS case, Chen said that his department decided on Tuesday that passengers arriving from that country must take their temperatures twice a day for 10 days from the day of their arrival.

The department has also formulated a set of countermeasures and will keep a close watch on the development of the situation in Singapore, he added.

As part of their efforts to prevent a possible resurgence of the potentially deadly disease this winter, the department is scheduled to launch an influenza-vaccination campaign among health workers starting Monday, which will be expanded to the elderly a week later.

The health authorities are encouraging people aged over 65 to get influenza vaccinations as a precaution against SARS this winter, as they are more vulnerable to flu in the winter.
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