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Singapore (pte028/16.05.2003/14:51) - China, Japan, South Korea and nine other South-East Asian countries have decided to work together in fighting the SARS virus by intensifying border controls. Each country will partake of a plan to measure the temperature of passengers on all international flights, insofar as it is possible. August 15 is the starting date, reports the Straits Times http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg .
Passengers will be required to fill out a standard "Health Declaration" form. Information such as name, nationality and passport number will be mandatory. Travellers will also need to fill out a health questionnaire issued by WHO before departure and after arrival. The involved nations will exchange and share this information in order to keep track of suspected cases of SARS. Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Borneo, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore are in agreement with the decision.
In light of the SARS crisis China has halted its adoption programme. Foreigners will not be able to adopt children from China for a certain, undefined period of time. China has the largest adoption programme in the world. The nation's adoption programme has been running since 1992, from which time the business boomed. According to the Australian news service ABC, http://www.abc.net.au 5000 Chinese children, mostly girls, have been adopted by Americans.
(pte-special SARS)
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