Travel: LTravel restrictions to some areas affected by SARS may be eased over the next few weeks, as the world learns to live with the virus, according to a senior World Health Organisation (WHO) official.
Hong Kong, Canada and Vietnam are likely to be first and China the last to benefit, according to Dr Mark Salter, co-ordinator of the WHO Clinical Management Group.
Dr Salter said at an airline meeting in Bangkok the world should learn to live with a virus that was serious but not hugely infectious, and may already have become part of the environment.
The WHO would lift its advisories against travel to a number of affected regions "piecemeal fashion" as certain, still evolving, criteria were met, including airport screening and infection containment, Dr Salter said.
Vietnam could be first to benefit from the easing of travel restrictions, Dr Salter said, and "Canada and Hong Kong won't be far behind".
In Bangkok, the International Air Transport Association, which represents the world's main airlines, said it was working with the WHO to fine-tune its protective measures.
In the US, the virus was found in six more patients yesterday, bringing the US total to 245 "suspected" cases, but only 39 were probable cases, meaning they had pneumonia as well as fever and cough or other symptoms, Dr Julie Gerberding of the Centre for Disease Control said.
All but two had travelled to Asia or Toronto, suggesting that it was not spreading freely, she added.
WHO said Vietnam, which had 63 cases and five deaths, had managed to control SARS through aggressive measures. A number of countries in Europe and elsewhere that had also reported outbreaks had managed to stop the spread.
Canadian officials said yesterday the WHO would review a global advisory not to travel to Toronto next Tuesday following the WHO advisory on Wednesday saying people should defer non-essential travel to Toronto, Canada's largest city, because of the outbreak there. Beijing and the Chinese province of Shanxi were also on the advisory. But Canada is the worst affected area outside Asia with 16 SARS-linked deaths.
"They are going to present updated facts to the (WHO) director next Tuesday morning and there will be a decision whether to lift the ban or not," said Ontario prime minister Mr Ernie Eves.- (AFP)