CANADA: Canada's largest city was gearing up yesterday for a new battle against SARS as officials investigated 33 possible new cases of the deadly virus, while in Asia the worst-affected areas of China and Hong Kong reported just 17 new infections.
Taiwan remained the major cause of worry in the region, announcing 22 new cases and 12 deaths.
But Taipei, which has claimed the recent leap in new cases is the result of better diagnosis techniques, has refused an offer of protective equipment from mainland China. Taipei is still smarting after Beijing blocked its attempt to win observer status with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
In Toronto, which had not had a new SARS case since April 19th, and was cleared by the WHO as a SARS-affected area 12 days ago, disappointed health authorities returned to action after news that an undiagnosed sufferer may have exposed hundreds to the illness which has already killed 27 people in Canada.
Officials were investigating 33 possible SARS cases and had sent some 500 people into quarantine yesterday.
Canada is the only country outside Asia to report any deaths from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which has killed more than 700 worldwide and infected more than 8,000 since it first appeared in southern China in November.
After health officials delivered news of a possible new outbreak on Thursday, a growing number of suspected cases, including seven health workers, were under investigation by Saturday. They displayed some SARS symptoms, including fever, dry cough and breathing difficulties, and three were in a critical condition.
"We're treating them as SARS. We're isolating their contacts. We're isolating them in hospital because we're working to wrestle this one down to the ground," said Ontario's commissioner of health, Dr Colin D'Cunha.
Officials are investigating whether two recently deceased people had died of SARS without having been diagnosed, unwittingly exposing hundreds, including health workers, patients and their families.
In Taiwan, where the Department of Health insists the outbreak is being brought under control, another 22 infections brought the country's caseload to 570.
The number of cases was an increase of 10 on the previous day, but still well down on the record 65 announced on Thursday.
So far, 72 people have died from SARS in Taiwan.
Taiwan authorities yesterday also rejected China's offer of medical protective gear, saying Beijing could have done more to help the island's fight against SARS by not blocking its attempt last week to join the WHO.
The global health body is part of the United Nations, which only recognises the Beijing government.
In a letter to its Chinese counterpart, Taiwan's quasi-official Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) recommended that Chinese authorities keep their medical supplies for their own battle against SARS.
One of China's top SARS experts, meanwhile, said SARS has caused no mass infection and that life in Beijing, the world's worst-hit city, is gradually returning to normal.
No trace of mass SARS infection within families, hospitals and construction sites has been detected recently, Mr Rao Keqin, a senior analyst at a national SARS task force, said.
Official Chinese figures show the SARS virus is concentrated in the Beijing area, which accounted for more than 80 per cent of new cases in recent days.