WHO takes Toronto off SARS list
( 2003-07-03 09:30) (Xinhua)
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday removed Canada's Toronto
from the list of areas affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
"WHO has today removed Toronto, Canada, from its list of areas with recent
local transmission of SARS," a statement on the world health body's website
said.
WHO's chief of infectious diseases David Heymann described Toronto's removal
from the SARS list as "a great achievement for public health" in the global
fight against the deadly disease that has so far killed about 800 people
worldwide.
Toronto was the hardest hit area outside Asia. The death toll from the
disease was 39, and some 250 people were infected with the virus in Canada's
largest city, according to the country's Health Ministry.
Toronto's clearance of SARS leaves the Chinese island of Taiwan the only
place still on the WHO's list of SARS affected areas. Taiwan, too, is expected
to be declared free of SARS on Saturday by the WHO if it reports no new cases
the next three days.
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