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CNN Sunday Morning
Worldwide Outbreak of SARS Tops 3,500 Cases
Aired April 20, 2003 - 06:34 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's concentrate on some health news now and the worldwide outbreak of the respiratory infection called SARS has topped 3,500 cases. The death toll from SARS is more than 180. The initial outbreak is thought to have been in mainland China.
On the phone with the latest is our Beijing Bureau Chief, Jaime Florcruz. Jaime, hello.
JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Hello. Startling news on SARS coming from Beijing today. The Beijing mayor and the health minister have both been dismissed from their key Communist Party post, meaning that they are also losing their government posts. They are obviously being held responsible for the failure of the leadership to contain the spread of SARS.
In a press conference a few hours ago, the Health Ministry officials reported that there are, in fact, 300 cases in Beijing alone, which is much more than the 37 official figures they gave us five days ago. It shows that SARS is still spreading in China, not just in Beijing but also in a few other provinces.
Now to avoid the further spread of SARS, Beijing has also decided to cancel the week-long May Day holiday. Last year, some 70 million Chinese traveled in and outside China. So you can imagine this massive movement of people and that will be a nightmare for those who wish to contain the spread of SARS. So today Beijing decided to cancel that.
KAGAN: Well, Jaime, the spread of SARS is one thing. The Chinese government has also come under intense international criticism about its failure to be forthcoming with its numbers. Are they realizing that perhaps that was not the best way to handle the situation?
FLORCRUZ: Indeed. In fact, the top leadership last week held a special meeting on SARS and after that, the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, decreed that any attempts to undercount or cover up SARS cases will be punished. The dismissal of the Beijing mayor and the health minister today is obviously meant to show that they are serious about it -- Carol.
KAGAN: It's actually Daryn, but that's OK. Jaime Florcruz from Beijing, thank you very much.
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 20, 2003 - 06:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's concentrate on some health news now and the worldwide outbreak of the respiratory infection called SARS has topped 3,500 cases. The death toll from SARS is more than 180. The initial outbreak is thought to have been in mainland China.
On the phone with the latest is our Beijing Bureau Chief, Jaime Florcruz. Jaime, hello.
JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Hello. Startling news on SARS coming from Beijing today. The Beijing mayor and the health minister have both been dismissed from their key Communist Party post, meaning that they are also losing their government posts. They are obviously being held responsible for the failure of the leadership to contain the spread of SARS.
In a press conference a few hours ago, the Health Ministry officials reported that there are, in fact, 300 cases in Beijing alone, which is much more than the 37 official figures they gave us five days ago. It shows that SARS is still spreading in China, not just in Beijing but also in a few other provinces.
Now to avoid the further spread of SARS, Beijing has also decided to cancel the week-long May Day holiday. Last year, some 70 million Chinese traveled in and outside China. So you can imagine this massive movement of people and that will be a nightmare for those who wish to contain the spread of SARS. So today Beijing decided to cancel that.
KAGAN: Well, Jaime, the spread of SARS is one thing. The Chinese government has also come under intense international criticism about its failure to be forthcoming with its numbers. Are they realizing that perhaps that was not the best way to handle the situation?
FLORCRUZ: Indeed. In fact, the top leadership last week held a special meeting on SARS and after that, the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, decreed that any attempts to undercount or cover up SARS cases will be punished. The dismissal of the Beijing mayor and the health minister today is obviously meant to show that they are serious about it -- Carol.
KAGAN: It's actually Daryn, but that's OK. Jaime Florcruz from Beijing, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
