As at 1pm today, an additional 10 patients were confirmed to have severe acute respiratory syndrome and are in public hospitals.

More than 55% of patients - 898 of the total number of confirmed patients - have recovered and been discharged from public hospitals, including 20 today. There are 110 recovering patients preparing for discharge.

The new cases include one healthcare worker from the Prince of Wales Hospital, and the rest are other patients and contacts of patients with SARS.

Most of the 544 patients still in hospital are responding positively to the new treatment protocol. Eighty - about 15% - are in intensive care.

Nine patients died in United Christian, Prince of Wales, Princess Margaret, Tai Po, Queen Elizabeth and Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospitals. This brought to 179 the total number of SARS deaths.

The deceased include six men and three women aged 50 to 96.

Director of Health Dr Margaret Chan said despite the 10 new cases, the general trend in SARS figures was declining.

One of the 10 new cases is a 16-year-old student. However, Dr Chan said so there is no need to suspend classes as he did not contract the virus in school and he did not go to school after getting sick.

She added that 401 families, 1,027 people, are now under the home confinement programme. They will stay at home for 10 days.