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CNN Live At Daybreak
China's Health Ministry Reports Eight More Deaths From SARS
Aired May 06, 2003 - 05:35 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: Turning to health concerns over SARS now, China's health ministry reports this morning eight more deaths from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The agency says four of the new deaths are in Beijing and adds that another 138 people have been infected, 70 of those in the capital. The World Health Organization's latest figures show 6,583 cases globally, with 461 deaths.
And as we told you earlier, the University of California at Berkeley has decided to stop students from SARS stricken areas from coming into California.
Well, Monroe -- Willie Monroe, rather, of CNN affiliate KGO has details for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIE MONROE, KGO-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The restriction effects new students from China, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, areas particularly hard hit by SARS.
MARIE FELDE, U.C. BERKLEY SPOKESWOMAN: Because we're not in a position to take care of large numbers of students if they have symptoms when they get here.
MONROE: About 600 students will be affected. Some were scheduled to start classes May 27th. But the campus wide SARS task force advised banning those students from coming to Berkeley this summer.
DR. TOMAS ARAGON, U.C. SARS TASK FORCE: Any of them that comes down with any respiratory symptoms basically are going to be treated like a suspected SARS case just based on the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control. And that means voluntary, that means isolation, making sure that we have an appropriate place to put them.
MONROE: The CDC recommends limiting exposure and monitoring potential SARS patients for 10 days. The university says it just doesn't have that capability.
FELDE: We don't want to invite students here if we're not able to provide the kind of health care and the kind of services that they're going to need.
MONROE: Some students say the decision is a little bit of over reaction.
TONY AU, U.C. BERKELEY STUDENT: I don't think it's a good way to stop the disease. There are SARS even in Canada, in big cities in Canada. Are we stopping Canadians, too, from coming to our country?
ANDREW CHOU, U.C. BERKELEY STUDENT: I don't particularly believe that it's bad. I mean it's good to be safe just because, you know, the epidemic is, in those countries it's strong.
XAVIER SERRATO, U.C. BERKELEY STUDENT: I feel until we really know what is going on with the SARS and what it's really doing, then I guess, as much as I would like for that not to happen, I feel for now it's kind of the most important thing.
MONROE: The summer school ban represents an escalation of the university's response to SARS. Students like Tina Zhang won't be studying in Asia this summer because those programs have already been canceled.
TINA ZHANG, U.C. BERKELEY STUDENT: Well, I thought that was a little more extreme, but I guess it's just for the good of the people here, you know, so I can understand why they're doing it, but maybe it's not really necessary.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That was Willie Monroe of CNN affiliate KGO in San Francisco.
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 May 6, 2003 - 05:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Turning to health concerns over SARS now, China's health ministry reports this morning eight more deaths from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The agency says four of the new deaths are in Beijing and adds that another 138 people have been infected, 70 of those in the capital. The World Health Organization's latest figures show 6,583 cases globally, with 461 deaths.
And as we told you earlier, the University of California at Berkeley has decided to stop students from SARS stricken areas from coming into California.
Well, Monroe -- Willie Monroe, rather, of CNN affiliate KGO has details for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIE MONROE, KGO-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The restriction effects new students from China, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, areas particularly hard hit by SARS.
MARIE FELDE, U.C. BERKLEY SPOKESWOMAN: Because we're not in a position to take care of large numbers of students if they have symptoms when they get here.
MONROE: About 600 students will be affected. Some were scheduled to start classes May 27th. But the campus wide SARS task force advised banning those students from coming to Berkeley this summer.
DR. TOMAS ARAGON, U.C. SARS TASK FORCE: Any of them that comes down with any respiratory symptoms basically are going to be treated like a suspected SARS case just based on the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control. And that means voluntary, that means isolation, making sure that we have an appropriate place to put them.
MONROE: The CDC recommends limiting exposure and monitoring potential SARS patients for 10 days. The university says it just doesn't have that capability.
FELDE: We don't want to invite students here if we're not able to provide the kind of health care and the kind of services that they're going to need.
MONROE: Some students say the decision is a little bit of over reaction.
TONY AU, U.C. BERKELEY STUDENT: I don't think it's a good way to stop the disease. There are SARS even in Canada, in big cities in Canada. Are we stopping Canadians, too, from coming to our country?
ANDREW CHOU, U.C. BERKELEY STUDENT: I don't particularly believe that it's bad. I mean it's good to be safe just because, you know, the epidemic is, in those countries it's strong.
XAVIER SERRATO, U.C. BERKELEY STUDENT: I feel until we really know what is going on with the SARS and what it's really doing, then I guess, as much as I would like for that not to happen, I feel for now it's kind of the most important thing.
MONROE: The summer school ban represents an escalation of the university's response to SARS. Students like Tina Zhang won't be studying in Asia this summer because those programs have already been canceled.
TINA ZHANG, U.C. BERKELEY STUDENT: Well, I thought that was a little more extreme, but I guess it's just for the good of the people here, you know, so I can understand why they're doing it, but maybe it's not really necessary.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That was Willie Monroe of CNN affiliate KGO in San Francisco.
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>
