BEIJING (AFP) - China breathed a sigh of relief with no new reported SARS (news - web sites) cases and no new deaths a day after the first fresh case in weeks sparked concern from the World Health Organisation.
The health ministry said Thursday there were also no new suspected cases and that five more people had been released from hospital, leaving 39 still being treated. Of these 34 are in Beijing, four in Guangdong and one in Shanghai.
The WHO Wednesday said it was concerned after Guangdong province reported a new SARS case barely 24 hours after the global health body declared China free of the local chain of transmission of the disease.
SARS first emerged in Guangdong last November and was carried into Hong Kong by a sick mainland Chinese doctor in mid-March, sparking a devastating outbreak that spread around the world.
The WHO removed its travel advisory against Guangdong on May 23.
The virus has killed 348 people in China from 5,327 infections.
