SARS in Batam

SARS in Batam

In Names of RI SARS victims released (The Jakarta Post, May
9), you reported that the latest patient, an 81-year old
Indonesian man who had just returned from Singapore, classified
as a SARS-observed case, has been detected in a hospital in
Batam.

We have made detailed enquiries and found that the person
referred to in your report is Hamid bin Daud, a 81-year old man.
He is a non-SARS related case and was officially discharged from
the hospital on May 8.

Singapore has imposed tough restrictions, over and above the
World Health Organization's guidelines to contain the spread of
SARS to the community. These measures have been found to be
effective, as we have had no new infections for the last twelve
days. We have also taken all means, including deploying thermal
imaging scanners to check the temperatures of all incoming and
departing visitors to Singapore to minimize the possibility of
any spread of infection into or beyond Singapore.

WILLIAM TAN, First Secretary, Singapore Embassy, Jakarta