Toronto reports more Sars cases, 4 deaths at hospital

TORONTO - More cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) were reported in Toronto yesterday and officials say the disease may have caused the deaths of four people at a hospital on the edge of the city, which could have wider ramifications for its fight against the virus.

Public health officials said autopsies were ongoing on the four who died last week at the Rouge Valley Centenary hospital east of Toronto and it was not yet clear whether the deaths were from Sars.

The hospital was not on the list of Sars-affected areas but officials have now closed its emergency units and walk-in clinics as a precaution.

Dr Jim Young, Ontario's public safety commissioner, said the four had not shown the classic signs of the disease but early tests found the coronavirus, believed to cause Sars, in some of them.

"We have no indication of a spread to any other patients or staff at Centenary, nor do we know whether these cases are Sars.

"We're being cautious because clearly we don't want to ignore it and let the hospital function and then discover after the fact that we should have done something."

The city's medical facilities are already on high alert after the death of a 96-year-old man who unknowingly spread the virus to people around him, triggering a second wave of the disease.

The case went undetected for weeks as hospitals let down their guard after an initial outbreak in March and April. The new cluster of Sars cases this week put Toronto back on the World Health Organisation's list of areas hit by the illness.

Thirty people have died from the virus in Toronto, the only place outside Asia where people have died from Sars. The city yesterday raised the number of active probable cases from 43 to 46.

Meanwhile, a relieved Singapore celebrated its victory over Sars with stores on its Orchard Road shopping street offering big discounts and thousands of people expected to gather for a riverside party.

The WHO removed Singapore from its list of Sars-affected areas on Saturday after health authorities ended an outbreak that killed 31 people and infected 206.

"We're tremendously relieved," said James Papineau, project director at Singapore Can-Lah!, a group representing hotel, tourism and trade industries.

"We've been pretty battered, economically speaking, so we're going to go out and let our hair down a little bit," he said, referring to a party yesterday at the Boat Quay pub strip near the financial district.

Singapore had expected to be dropped from the WHO list about two weeks ago but a new case was confirmed just as the city was ending a 20-day countdown of no new cases.

WHO set the 20-day benchmark because it is believed to be twice the incubation period for the virus.

Singapore tourist authorities have set up a $2.03 million campaign to get residents outdoors and reassure visitors.

- REUTERS