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CNN Live At Daybreak

SARS Epidemic Showing No Signs of Stopping

Aired April 25, 2003 - 05:34   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: On to the SARS epidemic now. It's showing no signs of stopping. Authorities in Taiwan have now quarantined more than 1,000 doctors, nurses and patients in an attempt to halt the spread. And China, too, is reporting some more SARS deaths this morning.
CNN Beijing bureau chief Jamie FlorCruz on the phone with more on SARS -- good morning, Jaime.

JAMIE FLORCRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

More bad news coming out of China, where the health ministry reported five new SARS deaths and 180 new cases, more than half of them in Beijing. Now, as Chinese officials try to cut the chain of the SARS outbreak, the city officials ordered 4,000 people to stay at home under quarantine. They are suspected to have had close contact with suspected SARS patients.

Now, this follows the closure yesterday of a major Beijing hospital due to a SARS outbreak.

Such Draconian measures, Carol, may have helped contain the spread of SARS, but they are also disrupting the lives of Beijing's more than 12 million residents. This has prompted panic buying and hoarding among people who fear that they'll be, there might be a food shortage or a forced quarantine and also rumors are flying all over Beijing these past two days, some saying that the authorities plan to declare martial law or close the city's airports and highways.

The city government spokesman today dismissed them as rumors -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh, I was just going to ask you, that's, that would be very Draconian if, indeed, they did that. But that's just a rumor right now?

FLORCRUZ: That's right. And that's indicative of how fragile, I think, the people are emotionally responding to this growing crisis here in Beijing -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understand.

Jaime FlorCruz reporting live from Beijing 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






Aired April 25, 2003 - 05:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: On to the SARS epidemic now. It's showing no signs of stopping. Authorities in Taiwan have now quarantined more than 1,000 doctors, nurses and patients in an attempt to halt the spread. And China, too, is reporting some more SARS deaths this morning.
CNN Beijing bureau chief Jamie FlorCruz on the phone with more on SARS -- good morning, Jaime.

JAMIE FLORCRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

More bad news coming out of China, where the health ministry reported five new SARS deaths and 180 new cases, more than half of them in Beijing. Now, as Chinese officials try to cut the chain of the SARS outbreak, the city officials ordered 4,000 people to stay at home under quarantine. They are suspected to have had close contact with suspected SARS patients.

Now, this follows the closure yesterday of a major Beijing hospital due to a SARS outbreak.

Such Draconian measures, Carol, may have helped contain the spread of SARS, but they are also disrupting the lives of Beijing's more than 12 million residents. This has prompted panic buying and hoarding among people who fear that they'll be, there might be a food shortage or a forced quarantine and also rumors are flying all over Beijing these past two days, some saying that the authorities plan to declare martial law or close the city's airports and highways.

The city government spokesman today dismissed them as rumors -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh, I was just going to ask you, that's, that would be very Draconian if, indeed, they did that. But that's just a rumor right now?

FLORCRUZ: That's right. And that's indicative of how fragile, I think, the people are emotionally responding to this growing crisis here in Beijing -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understand.

Jaime FlorCruz reporting live from Beijing 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