Beijing, May 18: United Nations health agency and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have extended its travel warning to the northern Chinese province of Hebei, citing the increased local transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), even as four people lost their lives to the killer epidemic in Taiwan.
The WHO recommended that persons planning to travel to Hebei province, encircling beijing consider postponing all but essential travel.
"The temporary recommendation is based on the magnitude of the outbreak in Hebei, including the number of prevalent cases and the number of new cases reported daily, and evidence that local chains of transmission are occurring outside a confined setting, such as the health care environment," the WHO said in a statement.
Together, these factors increase the risk that travellers to Hebei could become infected and subsequently export the disease elsewhere, it said.

The recommendations to international travellers are one of several measures being used by WHO to reduce opportunities for the further international spread of SARS, it said.

Interestingly, a four-member who expert team had visited Hebei province during the week and had praised the provinces' efforts to contain Sars.
Meanwhile, health authorities in Taiwan said reported four more deaths due to the killer epidemic today taking the total toll on the island to 40 from 344 cases.

The island also reported 36 new cases of the contagious disease. Bureau Report