Authorities in Beijing say two more people in China have died of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, and authorities in Hong Kong are reporting one death and four new cases of the disease.
And the impact of SARS is one of the key topics at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Thailand. Brian Purchia reports.
Chinese health officials say the death toll on the mainland climbed to 334 with the deaths of two people. But, for the first time in six weeks, Chinese authorities said they had found no new cases of the virus. Many people in China say SARS fears are subsiding.
UNIDENTIFED CHINESE MAN
“Almost everyone's psychological state has returned to a stable condition, there's nothing to worry about, the worst has already passed and everything has returned to normal.”
In Taiwan there were four more reported cases of SARS. The death toll on the island has remained unchanged at 81 since Thursday.
Meanwhile, more than 5,200 people remain in quarantine in Canada in an effort to stop the spread of the flu-like disease.
In related news, APEC trade ministers are meeting in northern Thailand, Monday, to discuss SARS, security and the economy. Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
THAKSIN SHINAWATRA, THAI PRIME MINISTER
" I think that SARS itself is not as worse as the fears of SARS.”
Mr. Thaksin told reporters that countries affected by SARS would be able to contain the epidemic by the end of June.