Toronto back on SARS map as health chief quits in Taiwan
Meanwhile, in Taiwan, the health chief for the island’s capital resigned over a SARS outbreak at a hospital.
Toronto thought it had shaken the virusafter reporting the biggest outbreak outside Asia in April.
But news emerged last week of the possible new cases and officials admitted Canada could have between 30 and 40 cases that went undetected.
The Toronto deaths, along with one in Hong Kong and three more in China, brought the worldwide death toll to 724.
More than 8,100 people have been infected since the disease emerged in November.
China, which has reported the most cases and deaths, reported just eight new cases yesterday, the lowest reported daily increase in the country to date. Taiwan reported 15 new cases.
Taipei health chief Chiu Shu-ti resigned late on Sunday, taking the blame for last month’s SARS outbreak at the capital’s Hoping Hospital. The facility was the source for most of the island’s SARS infections.
Ms Chiuhad offered to quit soon after thehospital was sealed off on April 24 hospital was sealed off on April 24 “After a long talk, I decided to let her retreat from the front line,” the mayor said.
The eight new cases announced in Toronto were linked to outbreaks at hospitals and officials insisted there was no transmission of the disease to ordinary Canadians.
“We still see no evidence of community transmission of this disease,” said Dr Colin D’Cunha, chief medical officer of health for Ontario province.
One of the new cases was a 96-year-old man who died.
Health officials said they believe the man was the source of the new cluster.
He was in North York General Hospital.
A patient transferred to St John’s Rehabilitation Hospital was considered the likely source of four more cases.
Another 26 people have been listed as suspected SARS cases and about eight others could be suffering from the disease.
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