Geneva, July 02: The World Health Organisation today removed Toronto from its list of SARS-infected areas, saying Canada`s largest city had contained the virus. The decision means Taiwan is the last on what was once a long list of countries reporting local transmissions in the last 20 days. It will likely shed that distinction on Saturday if there are no new cases between now and then.

"This is a great achievement for public health in what we hope is the final phase of the global emergency," said David Heymann, who`s head of communicable diseases. "Toronto faced an especially challenging outbreak." Toronto had the largest SARS outbreak outside of Asia, with 39 deaths and almost 250 cases. More than 27,000 people in and around the city were forced into quarantine during the two outbreaks - one in March and April and the second in May and June.

Although there have been no recent new cases, a number of people remain critically ill and the death toll could rise. The latest death Sunday was of a nurse - the first Canadian health care worker to die from SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Bureau Report