Two more reported deaths from the killer pneumonia sweeping parts of Asia kept the pressure on health authorities to curb the disease's spread today.
Both Hong Kong and Singapore announced another death each from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) as the worldwide tally of those so far affected rose to more than 1,600.
Both new victims were elderly patients who had histories of other diseases, the Hong Kong and Singaporean health authorities said.
Another 60 people with the symptoms of SARS - including fatigue, fever, muscle aches and laboured breathing - were admitted into Hong Kong hospitals, a joint statement from the territory's Department of Health and the Hospital Authority said.
The Hong Kong tally now stands at 530 affected by SARS of which 13 have died.
Among the new cases, all admitted to public hospitals, were 36 residents of Amoy Gardens public housing estate, where health authorities say 85 sufferers had already been identified. The new cases also included six health workers.
In Singapore, the Ministry of Health announced the island state's third death from SARS after the first two had been revealed on Friday.
Today, a World Health Organisation team in Beijing was still awaiting the fruits of Chinese promises on Friday to give "full and frank" reports on the illness, especially in southern Guangdong province, neighbouring Hong Kong, where 31 of the country's dead were detected.
As the costs to the region's travel industry mounted from cancelled air, hotel and event bookings, Thailand sought to protect its tourism-dependent economy by announcing it would detain anybody arriving in the country with symptoms of the illness for 24 hours.
The move was prompted by the death in Bangkok yesterday of Dr Carlo Urbani, the WHO expert who first identified the killer virus.
In Hong Kong, authorities continued to disinfect streets, public facilities and cleanse 160 public housing estates today as part of efforts to combat the spread of the virus.
A quarantine law invoked by Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa last Thursday as part of tougher measures to contain the virus spread will come into effect tomorrow for 1,080 people who had contact with SARS sufferers.
The Department of Health also called on passengers who travelled from Beijing to Hong Kong on Dragonair flight KA901 on March 26th to contact officials after a Hong Kong man on board developed symptoms of SARS.
The latest deaths bring the worldwide toll from SARS to 58, according to an AFP tally, with 34 deaths in China, 13 in Hong Kong, four in Vietnam, three in Canada, three in Singapore and one in Thailand.
AFP