As at 1pm today, six new patients were confirmed to have SARS in public hospitals. Some 1,015 patients have recovered and been discharged from public hospitals. Of them, seven were discharged today.

There are now 442 patients in hospital, of which 95 are recovering patients who are in convalescence and preparing for discharge.

Most of the patients in hospital are responding positively to the treatment protocol. Sixty-six remain in intensive care.

There are no healthcare workers among the new cases. They are all patients and contacts of patients with SARS.

Two patients died in Queen Mary Hospital and at Caritas Medical Centre. They were a woman and a man aged 87 and 70 respectively, with a history of chronic disease. This brought to 210 the total number of SARS deaths.

As of today, there are 431 households under the home confinement programme, representing 1,101 people.

Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa said although new cases have encouragingly been kept to single-digit figures for the sixth consecutive day, efforts to curb the disease must continue.

"I emphasise that the situation remains fluid. There is still a lot of uncertainty. This is a new virus and we cannot let down our guard," Mr Tung said.

"The better and more thoroughly we do our work the more possible it will be for us to achieve within the shortest time a single digit number lower than what it is today."

Mr Tung reiterated that the SARS fight remained the Government's top priority and he was confident it would be won.

Director of Health Dr Margaret Chan said the two deaths was the lowest SARS fatality figure since April 12. She also reiterated that despite the downward trend in figures, the public should not be complacent and keep up SARS safety precautions.