Taipei, Jun 13: Taiwan's health authorities today reported six more cases but no new deaths from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) also dropped one case after a review, reporting the total number of infections on the island as 693, with the death toll remaining at 81.

Of the six cases, three were from the Taipei municipal Yang-Ming Hospital where a minor outbreak of the epidemic was detected late last week, according to the CDC.

Fourteen cases of the pneumonia-like respiratory disease were linked to Yang-Ming, which was fined USD 43,280 by the health authorities Monday for allegedly delaying the reporting of Sars infections.
Hospital superintendent Wang Tai-Lung has also resigned to take responsibility for the latest hospital outbreak.

Taiwan health authorities have insisted the Yang-Ming outbreak has been brought under control with the spread slowing down over the pas t few days.


They have also said the island has met all five conditions set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for its release from a travel warning list the world health body issued in May.
But the WHO Tuesday rejected Taiwan's request for the removal, demanding clarification of six overseas Sars suspect cases that might have been exported from Taiwan between late March and early June.


Bureau Report