The patient was in stable condition without suffering from any difficulties in breathing, said Lei Chin Ion, head of the hospital.

The hospital has isolated two other patients who had formerly shared room with the SARS patient before the PCR test result of his respiratory secretion was handed down by the Hong Kong Health Department Saturday night, which suggested positive of coronavirus.

A doctor, three nurses and a paramedic worker, who had contacted the SARS patient without being adequately armed with personal protective equipment, have also been sent to isolation camps, which were earlier set up in Coloane Island of Macao.

The patient, a 29-year-old Macao resident, was an air-conditioner maintenance worker, who had been employed in Zhuhai city, south China's Guangdong province, which neighbors Macao across a land checkpoint. He began to have a fever and cough a week ago, and went back to seek medical help in the Government Hospital of Macao on May 8, when initial pneumonia symptoms were found.

Koi Kuok Ieng, director of Macao's Health Service, said that the SARS patient worked and lived with his family in Zhuhai. He became temporarily unemployed when he began to fall ill. The Health Service has informed its counterpart in Zhuhai about the SARS case.

Koi said that the man came directly to the hospital after he entered Macao on May 7 without contacting other people in Macao. However, there are still possibilities for other SARS infection since he took a bus on his way from the border checkpoint to the hospital. But it is difficult to trace passengers on the bus.

An emergency taskforce responsible for the round-the-clock command of SARS prevention and control took office at 9:00 p.m. Saturday shortly after the first SARS case was confirmed in Macao.

Chui Sai On, secretary for social affairs and culture and also newly appointed commander of the taskforce, calmed Macao residents in his speech at the taskforce's first press conference.

Macao has made sufficient preparation for the disease control during nearly half a year of time after the epidemic broke out in its surrounding regions of Guangdong province and Hong Kong, he noted.

"All buses have been regularly disinfected since April, and the Government Hospital has banned visits to isolation ward to reduce the chance of SARS infection," he said.

He called on Macao residents to follow the government's advisory on SARS prevention to pay attention to personal hygiene, household disinfection and ventilation.

The cross-sectional taskforce which directly reports its work to Macao's Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah has moved into the office in the building of the Tourist Center Macao to start its work.

Chui said Macao has reported the SARS case to the Chinese Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, and that it will continue to keep close contact with WHO, the Chinese Ministry of Health and health departments in neighboring Hong Kong and Guangdong province.

Macao has already set up a daily communication mechanism with Beijing and Zhuhai city on exchange of SARS information.

(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2003)