Restless efforts are being made in China to minimize the effect
brought by the newly confirmed SARS case in Guangzhou for a safe
and sound
Spring Festival, which officially begins on January 22.
The "flood tide'' of transportation which occurs during every
Spring Festival, is earlier than normal this year after starting
yesterday.
More than 140 million people are expected to move around by
train during the 40-day period.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced two days ago that
so far there is no evidence of any severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS) epidemic and that China is still a safe place to
travel. It is unnecessary for the country to adjust the travel
scheme for the Spring Festival.
However, doubts about the deadly epidemic's circulation are
still causing concern among certain parties. Issues include the
sources of the virus, details about its transmission and the
unavailability of vaccines.
Governments at all levels are taking various actions to prevent
the possible spread of the SARS virus during the "flood tide.''
Seven departments under the State Council including the
ministries of health, railways, and the General Administration of
Civil Aviation, have jointly issued a document to strengthen
healthcare and quarantine work to prevent the SARS virus from
spreading.
For example, all passengers coming and going from Guangzhou are
being asked to take temperature checks and anyone with a
temperature over 38 C will be immediately put under further medical
observation.
Meanwhile, all trains in the country are being disinfected every
day now, and all workers on trains must ensure they are not
suffering from any symptoms whenever they start their work, an
official from the Ministry of Railways who declined to give his
name told China Daily yesterday.
Sources from railway stations said that some 90,000 passengers
boarded trains yesterday.
Fifteen temporary trains have been added in Guangzhou railway
station to ease the daily passenger flow pressure.
It was estimated that over 1.9 million passengers would be
transported through Guangzhou during the 15 days before the coming
of the Spring Festival.
So far, thanks to the proper handling of the single case, people
on the move throughout the nation are generally quite calm.
However, except for the increasing amount of people in a hurry
to return home for the Lunar New Year family gathering, how much
effect the case has brought to the tourism industry is still
unknown.
Insiders from travel agencies and other tourism agencies
generally say that the single case will not have a serious effect
on the tourism market.
(China Daily January 8, 2004)