Chinese stay at home as SARS death toll rises

Millions of Chinese obeyed the government today and abandoned annual holidays to help curb the spread of SARS, while some residents blocked roads to keep out possible carriers of the deadly virus.

The worldwide death toll rose to at least 394 as China reported 11 fatalities, Hong Kong announced five and Canada two, both in Toronto.

About 5,600 cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome have been reported globally.

A major computer exhibition was cancelled in Taiwan over fears about the disease, and the United States, which has 52 probable SARS cases, said it was stockpiling ventilators and training extra medical staff.

In Singapore, where SARS has killed 25, concerns about a new wave of infections rose as authorities hunted for more than 100 people who arrived on three flights from Shanghai, Jakarta and Hong Kong and are thought to be displaying symptoms of SARS.

As most Chinese people stayed at home for the annual May Day holidays, several farming communities on the outskirts of the capital set up barricades to keep out any outsiders who might bring SARS with them.

“Prevention comes first,” said one township official, adding that local government officials had approved the move.

Beijing’s new mayor is determined to calm fears about SARS.

Despite the climbing death toll, generally more than nine out of 10 people recover from the disease.

As leaders in Beijing struggled to bring in enough doctors and add more hospital beds to cope with its SARS epidemic, about 7,000 builders toiled around the clock for eight days to put up the new 1,000 bed hospital in a former cornfield north of the city.

The UN’s World Health Organisation meanwhile said it was investigating reports from Hong Kong that 12 SARS patients there had relapsed after being sent home from hospital.

And in the Philippines, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said she would help calm SARS worries by visiting a village quarantined recently.

“Panic could do worse to our economy than SARS itself,” she said.

About 200 people in India were quarantined in hospitals or at home and the nation’s health minister criticised medical officials for releasing suspect cases or refusing to treat them.

Most of those quarantined were in western Maharashtra state, where a bride was allowed to go ahead with her wedding despite showing SARS symptoms.

She and four other people from the wedding – plus nine hospital staff who treated her – have been confirmed as among India’s 19 cases.