Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
China Taking More Drastic Steps to Try to Stop Spread of SARS
Aired April 24, 2003 - 05:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: China is taking more drastic steps to try to stop the spread of the deadly SARS virus. Authorities have now quarantined Beijing University People's Hospital for 10 days.
Our Beijing bureau chief Jaime FlorCruz joins us by phone with the latest -- good morning, Jamie.
JAMIE FLORCRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
The scene at the Beijing University People's Hospital looked very grim this morning as our CNN crew had eyewitnessed. We saw ambulances and a funeral van pull into the back door of the hospital, which was cordoned off by scores of policemen.
It is not one of the six designated hospitals for SARS treatment, but apparently it's one of the biggest in Beijing, as well. It has about 2,000 employees and perhaps over 1,000 hospital beds. Apparently because of SARS outbreak there, it's now been closed off and quarantined.
This is one of the many drastic measures that Beijing authorities have taken to break the chain of infections in the capital. They have decreed that people and public places with suspected SARS infections will be quarantined. Now, schools have also been closed and the pupils have been sent home for two weeks.
In public buses and other public places, they're all periodically sprayed with disinfects. At the Beijing Airport, for instance, passengers are now required to go through an infrared device to screen them of SARS symptoms like high fever.
But these measures so far have failed to stop the spread of the disease and the World Health Organization has put Beijing on the list of places to avoid for non-essential travel.
Now, in some neighborhoods in Beijing, a fear of quarantine and food shortage has triggered panic buying of daily goods like rice, cooking oil and instant noodles -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Those 2,000 employees of that hospital, so they'll have to stay inside until when? Do we know?
FLORCRUZ: We heard that they will all be required to be quarantined for about 10 days. That's just about the time when the SARS virus is supposed to incubate. But we heard also that some of them may be moved to the SARS, to one of the six designated hospitals for SARS treatment for observation, if not treatment -- Carol. COSTELLO: Understand.
Jaime FlorCruz reporting live for us this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
SARS>
Aired April 24, 2003 - 05:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: China is taking more drastic steps to try to stop the spread of the deadly SARS virus. Authorities have now quarantined Beijing University People's Hospital for 10 days.
Our Beijing bureau chief Jaime FlorCruz joins us by phone with the latest -- good morning, Jamie.
JAMIE FLORCRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
The scene at the Beijing University People's Hospital looked very grim this morning as our CNN crew had eyewitnessed. We saw ambulances and a funeral van pull into the back door of the hospital, which was cordoned off by scores of policemen.
It is not one of the six designated hospitals for SARS treatment, but apparently it's one of the biggest in Beijing, as well. It has about 2,000 employees and perhaps over 1,000 hospital beds. Apparently because of SARS outbreak there, it's now been closed off and quarantined.
This is one of the many drastic measures that Beijing authorities have taken to break the chain of infections in the capital. They have decreed that people and public places with suspected SARS infections will be quarantined. Now, schools have also been closed and the pupils have been sent home for two weeks.
In public buses and other public places, they're all periodically sprayed with disinfects. At the Beijing Airport, for instance, passengers are now required to go through an infrared device to screen them of SARS symptoms like high fever.
But these measures so far have failed to stop the spread of the disease and the World Health Organization has put Beijing on the list of places to avoid for non-essential travel.
Now, in some neighborhoods in Beijing, a fear of quarantine and food shortage has triggered panic buying of daily goods like rice, cooking oil and instant noodles -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Those 2,000 employees of that hospital, so they'll have to stay inside until when? Do we know?
FLORCRUZ: We heard that they will all be required to be quarantined for about 10 days. That's just about the time when the SARS virus is supposed to incubate. But we heard also that some of them may be moved to the SARS, to one of the six designated hospitals for SARS treatment for observation, if not treatment -- Carol. COSTELLO: Understand.
Jaime FlorCruz reporting live for us this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
SARS>
