Cities bid to stem outbreaks

BEIJING city officials told 4,000 people suspected of being exposed to SARS to stay home yesterday, as quarantined medical workers in Taiwan held a rowdy protest and Hong Kong hospitals were accused of failing to protect frontline doctors from the deadly bug.

Countries worldwide were struggling to contain varying outbreaks of the flu-like illness, which has already killed more than 260 and infected more than 4,300.

In the Philippines, officials announced the country's second death from SARS.