The disinfection of the six hospitals will be completed within a week, paving the way for the admission of non-SARS patients, said the work force.

The discharge of the SARS patients from the six hospitals is an indication that Beijing has effectively checked the spread of SARS, given the declining numbers of probable patients and growing numbers of recovered patients, said Han Demin, executive deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau.

Recovered SARS patients now account for more than half of the total SARS patients in Beijing, said Han, adding that a large number of SARS patients will be discharged from hospitals in the coming 5 to 10 days.

Cai Fuchao, director of the Beijing municipal publicity department, revealed that the Beijing Anti-SARS Joint Task Force decided on May 27 to move all SARS patients from nine designated hospitals to seven others which have better facilities and conditions.

The nine hospitals will now resume their treatment of non-SARS patients, Cai said, adding that the seven SARS hospitals have a combined total of 2,503 beds and ready to admit new SARS patients.

Cai said Thursday that Beijing will maintain three hospitals designated for SARS patients until the end of the crisis, including the You'an Hospital.

(Xinhua News Agency June 6, 2003)