Beijing: Even as the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued an unprecedented global travel advisory against Beijing, the Chinese capital on April 24 invoked emergency measures to quarantine people exposed to the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus and bar access to buildings where there has been an outbreak of the infection.

Beijing to quarantine those exposed to SARS virus The Beijing municipal government issued a circular late on April 23 night to quarantine people, areas, animals and products infected, or suspected of being infected by SARS, in its latest bid to curb the spread of the virus.

The SARS outbreak seems to get out of control in Beijing, which is home to some 13 million people. The Ministry of Health said the city had 693 cases of SARS and 35 deaths.

According to a circular, those having had close contact with people infected or suspected of being infected by SARS will also be isolated for quarantine.

Places infected by the virus that require quarantine include hospitals, factories, construction sites, hotels, restaurants, office buildings, residential buildings, villages, schools and other designated places, according to the circular.

Fears of the virus forced officials to close down China's national library in the capital on April 24 for the next nearly two weeks, a report said.

"Compulsory measures may be taken if those involved refuse to co-operate with the relevant departments, and those who violate related laws and regulations will be punished accordingly," the circular warned.

Meanwhile, WHO on April 23 included Beijing city as well as North China's Shanxi province along with Hong Kong and South China's Guangdong province where travellers should postpone their trips in view of the severe nature of SARS epidemic.

The WHO said as a measure of precaution, persons planning to travel to Beijing and Shanxi province should consider postponing all but essential travel.

"This temporary advice, which is an extension of travel advice previously issued for Guangdong province and Hong Kong special administrative region, China will be reassessed in three weeks time," the WHO said in a statement.

A report from China's largest city Shanghai on April 24 said it had six suspected cases of SARS, taking their total to 16. One of them is Chinese-American, and the other is from Taiwan.

Liu Zhenhua, governor of Shanxi province, one of the worst hit, said on April 23 that the government has been granted special decision- making powers and discretionary rights to use financial resources in the fight against the virus.

In Fujian province, East China, the provincial government has allocated five million Yuan (about $ 600,000) in special funding for the purchase of artificial respirators and other medical equipment for 19 hospitals designated to provide medical services for SARS patients.

At a meeting chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, the state council, China's cabinet decided on April 23 to create a national task force to combat SARS, and a national fund of two billion Yuan ($ 243 million) was established for the prevention and control of the disease that has so far taken the lives of 106 people on the Chinese mainland and 105 others in Hong Kong.

PTI