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Another 109 SARS cases
in Beijing as bungling mayor formally sacked
BEIJING (AFP) The SARS epidemic in Beijing worsened
with another 109 cases and two deaths as the Chinese
capital's mayor paid the ultimate penalty for bungling
the crisis when he was formally fired.
After admitting more than 700 confirmed or suspected
SARS cases in Beijing Sunday, the health ministry
increased the toll Monday as orders to come clean from
the highest echelons of power kicked in.
The two new deaths brought the total in the capital to
20 and nationwide to 86, the World Health Organisation
said, citing ministry of health statistics.
In all, 132 new cases around the country were reported
from 11 pm (1500 GMT) Sunday, bringing the national
tally to 1,959.
They included cases in four provinces previously free
of the killer disease, as the epidemic continued to
spread.
Meng Xuenong became the highest profile casualty of
China's handling of the crisis, being removed from his
position after only three months on the job.
Health Minister Zhang Wenkang is widely expected to
follow suit. Both men lost their senior positions in
the Communist Party Sunday.
"Mr. Meng has been sacked and the new mayor begins
work today," an official at the Secretariat of the
Beijing Party Committee, told AFP.
"The epidemic was not reported in time ... the
measurements of prevention were not sufficient, they
did not make it possible to observe nor to stop the
ways of propagation of the epidemic," said He Guoqiang,
a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist
Party Central Commitee, as to why Meng was axed.
The Beijing Daily said Wang Qishan had been appointed
in Meng's place.
The move came after intense criticism of the way the
government had dealt with Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS) and a public call from President Hu
Jintao to halt the cover-up.
In the wake of Hu's demand and threats of harsh
penalties for officials failing to report the severity
of the epidemic, another death was registered in Inner
Mongolia and a further one in southern Guangdong where
the disease is believed to have originated in
November.
The Xinhua news agency also carried reports of two
fatalities in Shanxi province.
The WHO said cases were also recorded for the first
time in Zhejiang, Jilin, Liaoning and Gansu province's.
The WHO has expressed concern that while the extent of
the disease is being disclosed in Beijing, much of the
country, particularly poor, rural areas where
facilities and reporting systems pale in comparison to
the capital, have yet to undergo thorough examinations.
"We still need some time to see what is really
happening," WHO medical expert Jeff McFarland told
AFP.
"I think by Friday we will be able to judge how the
reporting system is working."
But he warned that there was no known biological
reason for SARS not to travel whereever people from
Guangdong go.
"So it should not be a shock of more new cases," he
said.
However, he welcomed the punishment meted out to Meng
and Zhang, saying it sent the right message.
"When you sack the minister of health and the mayor of
Beijing, these are pretty remarkable events, so I
think the message has been received loud and clear out
in the provinces."
The WHO has so far only conducted investigations in
Beijing and Guangdong.
A six-man team began a probe in the eastern metropolis
of Shanghai Monday, where just two SARS cases have
been officially confirmed.
"We hope to work very closely with people here in
Shanghai to review the situation with SARS and their
approach and readiness for SARS," WHO team leader
James Maguire said of China's biggest city.
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