Toronto angry over Sars warning

Sars has affected many different parts of life in Toronto

An outraged Toronto mayor has berated the World Health Organization for declaring his city a "no-go" zone.

Mel Lastman said he had "never been so angry" as he became when the health body advised against all but essential travel to Toronto.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) has killed 15 people in the city - the entire death toll for Canada.

But Mr Lastman insisted the outbreak of the deadly virus was under control and the medical evidence did not support a travel ban.

'Doing well'

He said Toronto was safe for residents and tourists and demanded health chiefs return "tomorrow" to remedy what he called a disservice to the city and Canada.

"I can tell you definitely we are in better shape today than we have been in a month," he told a news briefing.

"Both the [US] Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization have said that we are managing the situation exceptionally well.

The mayor says precautions are working

"They just said this yesterday. Where did this group come from? Who did they see? Who did they talk to? Did they go to our hospitals, did they go to our clinics, did they go anywhere?"

Mayor Lastman - whose biography on the official city website describes him as "always outspoken and often controversial" - said he was shocked at Toronto's inclusion in a travel advisory which also warned people about China.

He was supported by city health officials, including Dr Sheela Basrur who said she thought the WHO diagnosis was wrong.

Baseball warning

The health organisation said it was concerned that the Sars outbreak in Toronto was continuing to spread and to affect people outside groups initially at risk such as contacts of patients and health workers.

US players visiting Toronto are being told not to sign autographs

It also noted that people now suffering from Sars in other countries appear to have caught the virus in Toronto, the only city outside Asia to have had deaths associated with the syndrome.

Several European countries, including the United Kingdom, have followed up the WHO advice by issuing their own warnings about travelling to Toronto.

Toronto's travel industry is set to be hit and baseball is an early casualty.

Players from 10 US teams scheduled to visit Toronto for games against the Blue Jays up until July are being told to take precautions such as avoiding mingling with large crowds and even signing autographs.