Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Chui Sai On said today (7 April) that the Government have already drawn a series of preventive measures to prevent transmission of SARS if an outbreak should happen in the community.

Mr Chui stressed that the MSAR Government has sufficient resources to cope with the outbreak, revealing that a World Health Organization (WHO) medical team will arrive in Macao on April 11 for a five-day inspection on the terrority's epidemic prevention of atypical pneumonia.

The Secretary said that the Government was well prepared for the possible situation of an outbreak, including the establishment of a third isolation unit in the psychiatric in Taipa, beside those two set up in the two hospitals.

He also said that the Health Bureau had prepared enough medication for 400 patients and enough protective gear for the medical care personnels.

He said that these measures were meant to prevent transmission in the community by keeping all patients in the hospital.

Mr Chu ensured that the authority would make announcement timely if any SARS case should be found in Macao.

He also urged the public to follow the advises of the Health Bureau and maintain good personal hygiene since that was the best precautions against the disease.

He confirmed that no case had been found up to this point and called on the public not to panic, adding that if an outbreak would happen in the community, the Government would set up an ad hoc group to coodinate the implementation of the WHO guidelines, and various departments would be acting accordingly.