Sars ban on Taiwanese Games delegation set to be overturned

A PLAN to overturn the ban on Taiwanese athletes travelling to the Special Olympics is currently being devised by organisers of the Games.

As the only remaining Sars-infected country excluded from taking part, Irish organisers are hopeful its delegates may still travel following the success of the Hong Kong delegation in overturning its ban.

A spokeswoman for the Special Olympics said they were in the process of drawing up a similar plan to accommodate the athletes from Taiwan.

“Every other country is travelling now with the exception of Taiwan and we are going to work with them to ensure they can participate,” she said.

She also welcomed the Department of Health’s u-turn in allowing the Hong Kong athletes to travel, despite the risk of the Sars virus.

The decision to lift the ban on the Hong Kong delegates follows intense political pressure from the authorities in Hong Kong and criticism from senior officials involved in the World Special Olympic Games.

Athletes from Hong Kong will now go into quarantine in Macau for 10 days before the games and will be assessed here on arrival by an Irish consultant.

The consultant will be on hand to act as a medical officer for the 22 athletes during their stay here.

Following a meeting with officials from Hong Kong on Saturday, the Government reversed its decision.

Irish officials were presented with a proposal which, according to the department, took into consideration the recommendations of the Irish expert group and conformed to its criteria.

Toronto, in Canada, is still on the World Health Organisation’s list of Sars-affected areas, but there are no athletes from Toronto on the Canadian delegation.

Most of the athletes with disabilities will arrive in Ireland on June 16 and will stay in host towns across the country, before making their way to Dublin on June 20 for the opening ceremony the following day.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said public health doctors were hopeful of a end to their eight-week strike prior to the commencement of the Games.

The doctors spent nine hours at the Labour Relations Commission in talks with health employers on Friday and some progress was made.