Taiwan sees big jump in Sars

There has been growing criticism in Taiwan over the handling of Sars

Taiwan has reported a record one-day rise in Sars infections, the day after the island's health minister resigned over the spread of the epidemic.

Officials reported 34 new cases on Saturday, taking the total number of cases to 308.

Taiwan's Health Minister Twu Shiing-Jer resigned on Friday to take responsibility for the outbreak, which has killed 36 people and shut two hospitals on the island.

Taiwan's new cases came as the World Health Organization (WHO) advised travellers to avoid the province of Hebei in northern China - extending its travel warning because of the scale of the Sars outbreak there.

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

China has reported a decline in the number of cases since the start of the month, but the WHO warned that this might be due to patients being misdiagnosed as having flu.

China's health ministry on Saturday reported seven more deaths and 28 new cases of the virus - the lowest number of new cases since the government ordered officials to report fully on the spread of the virus. It takes the death toll to 282.

Sars, or Severe acute respiratory syndrome, has killed more than 600 people worldwide, and infected more than 7,700 others, since it emerged in southern China late last year.

In Singapore, the government received a boost on Saturday when patients and staff at a medical hospital all tested negative for the virus.

Taiwan's new health minister is a respected epidemiologist

If no new cases are confirmed by Sunday, the WHO has said it will declare Singapore's epidemic under control.

Hong Kong also appeared closer to bringing the virus under control after reporting just four more cases - the 14th day in a row the city reported single-digit infections.

Officials in Hong Kong reported five more deaths on Saturday, taking the death toll in the former British colony to 243.

Hong Kong is hoping the WHO will soon lift its travel advisory against the territory.

Officials reported just three new infections on Friday - the lowest since records began in March.

Hong Kong health officials apologised on Saturday over a mix-up that led to the family of an elderly patient being wrongly told she had died from Sars. The patient's name tag had apparently been mixed up with that of another woman.