SARS decision on Special Olympics today

The Government's expert group on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is due to make a decision today on whether athletes from countries affected by the virus can take part in the Special Olympics.

Parts of China, Singapore and Canada are still on the World Health Organisation's list of SARS-affected areas.

Among the options open to the Irish expert group is to only allow athletes living outside the affected parts of the three countries to travel to the Olympics.

Another option is a two-week quarantine for athletes from the SARS-affected nations. The Special Olympics are due to get underway on June 22.