Singapore success against Sars

Despite the WHO announcement, health officials remain vigilant

Singapore has been declared Sars-free by the World Health Organization.

From Saturday, the country is being removed from the WHO's list of areas affected by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

Medical officials praised Singapore's handling of the outbreak and its prompt and open reporting of cases, saying other countries could learn from its example.

Meanwhile, China and Hong Kong reported four more Sars fatalities each on Saturday, bringing their toll respectively to 332 and 278 people.

Taiwan has registered nine new probable Sars cases, the second successive day of a single-digit rise in infections since the middle of May - which correspondents say reinforces optimism that the epidemic is coming under control.

SARS WORLDWIDE

Known death tolls:

World: 812

Mainland China: 348

Hong Kong: 298

Taiwan: 84

Singapore: 32

Canada: 38

Source: WHO/local authorities

Global update

On 22 May, Taiwan reported 65 new cases of Sars. Eighty-one people have died from the disease on the island.

Inspiring victory

WHO officials said stringent measures taken by Singapore meant the chain of infection was now broken.

"From the start, Singapore's handling of its Sars outbreak has been exemplary," said Dr David Heymann, Executive Director for Communicable Diseases at WHO.

"This is an inspiring victory that should make all of us optimistic that Sars can be contained everywhere."

Singapore carried out thermal-imaging of all air passengers to see if anyone had high temperatures, and quarantined those with symptoms - drafting in the army to enforce the containment.

Officials' tireless efforts in tracing the illness ensured they knew exactly who had brought the virus into Singapore in March, and where it had spread.

Singapore took tough action to ensure Sars did not spread

Singapore did have one setback when it reported a new case on 11 May, the day it was due to come off the WHO list.

This time, the last reported case of Sars was 20 days ago - twice the maximum incubation period.

The WHO declaration means travellers into and out of Singapore will no longer have to be screened, which is good news for airlines who have suffered financially from the effects of Sars.

Canada set-back

In Canada, Ontario's commissioner of health announced the death from Sars of a 57-year-old man - the 30th death from the disease in the country.

A dramatic jump in Toronto's Sars cases - 43 - has also been reported, attributed to health officials bringing their definition of the illness into line with WHO recommendations.

Toronto's officials had been accused of deliberately underestimating the number of cases so as to avoid another travel warning from the WHO.