Wall Street Journal Calls for Ban on China Flights

March 31, 2003

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Wall Street Journal called in an editorial on Monday for flights from China to be suspended to try to halt the spread of a deadly pneumonia that has killed more than 60 people in 15 countries.

The Journal said China has been negligent in not giving the World Health Organization full access to the information it needs to try to contain the disease, which appears to be highly contagious and may be spread through water droplets or air.

The most effective way to halt the spread of the disease would be for other countries to suspend all travel links with China until it has implemented a transparent public health campaign, the Journal said. The ban would have to include Hong Kong, which appears to be a major transit route for the disease, it said.

On Monday more than 100 people in one Hong Kong housing estate were suspected of having the disease. Authorities have quarantined more than 200 other residents in the block.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58354-2003Mar31.html