Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi Thursday urged strictly implementing the daily SARS epidemic reporting system and warned that people delaying the reporting or hiding the true situation would be severely punished.

Wu, who directs China's anti-SARS operations, gave the order at a national television and telephone conference on the prevention and control of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Wu urged all localities to exercise unified leadership, keep high vigilance and exert great efforts to prevent the resurgence of the SARS epidemic, noting that autumn and winter are seasons prone to respiratory diseases such as SARS.

She called for research of SARS diagnosing agents and therapeutic drugs to be fortified and international cooperation in the field to be strengthened.

She also urged doing sound publicity to increase the confidence and capability of the public in combating SARS.

The debut of SARS in China in the second quarter of this year caused big economic losses, with tourism, retails, catering and transport businesses suffering the most.

The latest survey results from the National Bureau of Statistics show that these sectors recovered quickly in the third quarter. Their main economic indicators have improved to varying degrees as compared with the period one-year earlier.

(Xinhua News Agency October 10, 2003)