Thu Jun 5, 8:03 AM |
TAIPEI Taiwan reported no new SARS (news - web sites) infections for a second straight day on Thursday, continuing a steady improvement since late May. Officials hope the island can be taken off the World Health Organization (news - web sites)'s travel advisory list by June 15.
The total number of probable cases in Taiwan's outbreak of the virus, the third-worst in the world, dropped by one to 677 due to the re-classification of some old cases.
The Department of Health said two patients previously diagnosed as probable cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) had been removed from the list of infected, while one was re-classified to probable from suspected.
They said that, for the WHO to lift its advisory, Taiwan had to report fewer than five probable cases for three straight days and show a declining trend, have fewer than 60 active SARS patients, with no untraceable cases. It must also be seen not to be exporting the virus.
The island has reported fewer than five daily new infections for five straight days, although 257 patients remain in hospital, the health department said in a statement on its Web site.
The death toll from SARS in Taiwan remained at 81.
