Beijing Announces New Fines for Hindering Anti-SARS Work

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, May 29, 2003

Beijing Announces New Fines for Hindering Anti-SARS Work

Authorities aiming to wipe out SARS in Beijing say they will fine people who evade health checkpoints or illegally enter quarantine areas.

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Authorities aiming to wipe out SARS in Beijing say they will fine people who evade health checkpoints or illegally enter quarantine areas.

There has been a sharp drop in the numbers of new cases in Beijing, the Chinese capital, recently, but officials say citizens must remain vigilant against the disease.

Beijing is entering a ``final crucial moment in the May battle against SARS,'' newspapers on Thursday quoted the city's Party secretary, Liu Qi, as saying.

SARS has killed at least 325 people on China's mainland, with more than 5,329 infected. Beijing has reported 175 deaths and has more than 2,500 people under quarantine.

Many activities in the capital are returning to normal, though officials haven't said when discos and other entertainment sites will be allowed to reopen. They were ordered to close a month ago at the height of outbreak.

New penalties announced Wednesday night by the Beijing Joint Working Group for SARS Prevention and Treatment also include fines for failure to properly disinfect areas where SARS cases have been found.

People who evade checkpoints, enter or leave quarantine areas without permission or hinder SARS-related investigations can be fined up to 200 yuan (US$24) -- equivalent to about one week's pay for most workers in Beijing.

The working group said companies that break the rules can be fined ten times that amount.

Police and volunteers in Beijing have been operating disease checkpoints since April, watching out for people with fevers or other symptoms.

Some have been spraying cars and trucks with disinfectant.

Checkpoints have also been set up at entrances to many buildings where people are made to disinfect their shoes.

China's Supreme Court said this month that people who cause death or serious injury by knowingly spreading the virus can face long term jail penalties.

It said patients who break quarantine can be imprisoned for up to seven years. (Agencies)

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