Beijing, Apr 29: In an unprecedented step, south China's Hainan province has banned the entry of tourists from other Chinese provinces so as to prevent SARS epidemic spreading in the picturesque tropical island. In an emergency circular to tourism agencies, the local government ordered that all tourism-related enterprises in the province to stop receiving tourists from elsewhere of the country for fear of SARS spread.
The notice urged the province's all travel agencies, hotels as well as other tourism-related units to refuse all tourism groups and room reservations from other provinces in an attempt to ensure Hainan province a SARS-free area.
Hainan is one of the Chinese provinces that is free of the deadly SARS virus that has killed at least 139 people on the Chinese mainland and over 330 world-wide.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government has received assistance from the military doctors and medical professionals to help to treat the rising number of SARS patients in the Chinese capital.
The chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) Jiang Zemin has approved the transfer of a total of 1,200 military doctors and nurses from all major military units to Beijing's designated SARS patient reception hospitals.
To date, 333 military medical staff from Beijing military area command, Shenyang military area command and Jinan military are a command have arrived in a SARS patient reception hospital located in Xiaota Ngshan, a suburb of Beijing.
The designated SARS treatment hospital, which was constructed in a record six-day period by nearly 7,000 workers, has 1,000 patient beds and needs 1,200 medical workers.
Bureau Report