"Today sees a good beginning. The information we got here is very useful," said Alan Schnur, leader of the communicable disease control team of the WHO China office Sunday evening, after touring the center with three other WHO experts.

The staff of the Beijing Disease Control Center briefed them on the details of attempts to curb the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), including the information on both confirmed and suspected SARS cases.

At the WHO's request, the center also provided the experts detailed data on SARS patients over the past two days.

Dr Jeffrey McFarland, medical officer of the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office said the data was really important and its analysis was urgently needed.

Beijing would take an open attitude to cooperating with the WHO which could check the Beijing Disease Control Center for information at any time, Wang Qishan, acting mayor of Beijing, said during a meeting with Hank Bekedam, WHO representative in China.

Guo Jiyong, deputy director of the Beijing Health Bureau, briefed the guests on the hospitals in Beijing for SARS patients.

Beijing has designated 13 hospitals for 1,700 SARS patients in addition to the hospitals affiliated to Chinese military forces, Guo said, adding that three other hospitals had also made preparations for SARS patients.

Alan Schnur said this was a good beginning and the two sides should cooperate further.

(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2003)