Beijing authorities have not dropped their guard following yesterday's lifting by the World Health Organization (WHO) of their SARS warning.

"Work on the prevention of SARS will not stop," Liang Wannian, vice-director of the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, told China Daily.

According to sources with the WHO, the possibility still remains of a further outbreak of the disease next winter.

Work on developing and setting up an effective public healthcare system to deal with any recurrence of the disease in winter and spring is under way in Beijing, according to Liang.

But no details of the system were available yesterday, he said.

Meanwhile, SARS designated hospitals and fever clinics will be retained around the capital.

The functions of the Beijing Joint Working Team for SARS Prevention and Treatment will be transferred to a new office under the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau.

Liang said the four groups responsible for medical treatment, information, materials support and epidemic prevention and treatment will continue to meet.

But some measures, such as the sterilization of all buses, are no longer necessary, he said.

Liang also revealed that a new infectious diseases hospital will be set up in Beijing to strengthen the capital's medical defence against such illnesses.

Liang, who is also an expert in epidemiology, said he and his colleagues will be assigned to research SARS and the scientific evaluation on preventive and control measures.

In response to the WHO's decision to remove Beijing from its list of SARS-infected areas, Beijing reopened discos, Internet cafes and other entertainment venues yesterday.

But the venues are required to pass authorities' quarantine tests before they open to the public.

To celebrate the city's success in fighting SARS and to help commerce recover, thousands of department stores, restaurants and parks will be open around the clock on Friday.

In another development, the Ministry of Health yesterday reported one new SARS case and one new death from the disease on the Chinese mainland for the 24 hours from 10 am June 24 to 10 am yesterday.

The new SARS patient, who was previously on the suspected list, was reported in South China's Guangdong Province, while the death was in Beijing.

In the meantime, 15 SARS patients were discharged from hospitals upon recovery.

As of 10 am yesterday, the number of SARS patients hospitalized on the Chinese mainland was 44.

(HK Edition 06/26/2003 page2)

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