The World Health Organisation has removed its recommendation that people should postpone all but essential travel to Hong Kong and Guangdong Province.

The Chief Executive welcomed the WHO's decision to lift its Hong Kong travel advisory, noting that it is the result of tremendous efforts by all Hong Kong citizens.

"For this, I'm truly grateful," Tung Chee Hwa said. He added that we should also be grateful to the Central Government, "for their unwavering support during the whole difficult period."

The community must remain on guard against SARS

We need to continue our efforts, he stressed, to ensure that there are no new cases of SARS - and to successfully remove Hong Kong from the list of infected areas.

"We have to understand that this is a new virus, there are still some areas that we're not very clear about. So we need to be really on guard at all times," he said. Maintaining the measures we have already been taking is one way to ensure that the virus does not spread.

Committee will review outbreak's handling

The Government will soon announce the names of members of committee that will conduct a comprehensive review of the handling of the SARS outbreak. It will examine the organisational framework, implementation of control measures, diagnosis and clinical management.

Hong Kong will also establish a centers-for-disease-control-type of organisation, "to build a better public-health structure, that will enable us to do a better job in fighting future epidemics," he said.

Efforts to clean up Hong Kong must continue

At the same time, Chief Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang is leading Team Clean's effort to work out measures aimed at bringing about lasting and visible improvements in environment hygiene. These details will be announced soon, Mr Tung said.

Financial Secretary Antony Leung is also looking at ways to revive Hong Kong's economy, and would make an anouncement later today, he added.

Goal: to remove HK from list of infected areas

"What we have achieved has not come easily," Mr Tung said. "It is an effort of all the people of Hong Kong. We should treasure what we have achieved and really redouble our efforts to make sure that as early as possible our name is removed from the infected area list of the WHO." 

CS urges community to maintain good personal hygiene

After the announcement, Chief Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang called on Hong Kong people to keep up their efforts with a view to achieving the target of no SARS cases.

He also reiterated the importance of maintaining good personal and environmental hygiene, though the city's condition is much better than that before the SARS outbreak.

HK remains ideal for travel and business

Financial Secretary Antony Leung said the Economic Recovery Group will expedite the efforts in implementing a plan, which was endorsed at today's meeting, to revitalise Hong Kong.

He pointed out that it is time to let the world know that Hong Kong is safe and clean, and to encourage people to resume normal life.

Other members of the group share the same view and are pleased with WHO's decision, adding that they will tell their countries that it is time to come back to Hong Kong for business and travel.

The banking sector also welcomed WHO's decision.  Hang Seng Bank's Vice-chairman and Chief Executive Vincent Cheng believed the move will help boost Hong Kong's economic recovery.

Executive councillor James Tien called on the public to remain viligant against SARS infection.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board described the decision as 'heartening'. Its chairman Selina Chow said the lifting of the travel advisory against Guangdong will help pave way for the board's comeback campaign and related promotions.

She appealed to the public to put out the good news to overseas people, adding that a series of activities is being planned to showcase Hong Kong's strengths.

On flight transport, Airport Authority Chief Executive Officer David Pang said starting from next week, staff working in the airport's restricted area will have their temperature checked to assure travellers that the aiport is SARS-free.

He also revealed that plans to boost the industry will be announced in due course.

WHO outlines reason for lifting the advisory

In a statement issued this afternoon, the WHO said it is removing its recommendation that people postpone all but essential travel to Hong Kong and Guangdong "as the situation in these areas has now improved significantly". 

WHO Director-General Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland said in a statement: "Guangdong was the first place in the world to have cases of SARS but I am pleased to note that due to the efforts of the local and national health authorities, with support from the WHO, the outbreaks in Guangdong and in Hong Kong are being contained."

WHO's criteria satisfied

The statement said Hong Kong had satisfied the WHO's criteria for lifting the advisory in the following ways:

* The three-day average number of new cases has remained below five over the last six days and the pattern of the outbreak shows a sustained decline since the peak of new cases in late March.

* The total number of people who are still infectious - all of whom are in hospital - has fallen below 60, although there are other former SARS patients who are still convalescing or being treated for other conditions in hospital.

* All new cases in the past 20 days have occurred in people who were already identified as contacts of a person with SARS and under active surveillance by the local health authorities.

* There have been no recent reports of internationally exported cases from Hong Kong.