Economic blueprint comes as eight new cases are reported and three more die
Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa yesterday unveiled a blueprint to restore international confidence in Hong Kong, saying headway was being made in containing the Sars outbreak.
The measures aimed at luring back tourists and investors include the setting up of a $500-million disease surveillance body similar to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and two taskforces to boost economic recovery and overhaul environmental hygiene.
Talks with Guangdong province are also under way this week to help bring life on both sides of the border back to normal. And Hong Kong is about to begin negotiations with the World Health Organisation to lobby for the lifting of its travel advisory.
The number of new infections yesterday was eight, the same as for Sunday. There are a total of 1,637 confirmed cases and 27 suspected cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome.
Three more patients died yesterday, the lowest daily number of deaths since April 11. The death toll now stands at 187. Those who died yesterday were aged between 66 and 86 and all had a history of chronic disease. A further 13 patients were discharged, bringing the number who have recovered to 930.