Thermal checks reactivated
The latest Sars outbreak in China has prompted Malaysia to reactivate thermal screening at airports and alert its hospitals and doctors to be on guard for symptoms of the disease.
'We are on full alert for passengers from China, more so from Beijing,' Malaysian Health Minister Chua Soi Lek told reporters.
Malaysia escaped relatively lightly when severe acute respiratory syndrome swept Asia last year. Out of 774 people killed globally from 8,000 infected, Malaysia had two deaths from five cases.
Mr Chua said passengers arriving from Beijing were required to undergo thermal scanning to check for fever.
Visitors from Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong were required to fill out health declaration forms.
About 2,000 people a day arrive in Malaysia from those places, the minister said.
The Health Ministry has reopened a Sars office and a hotline for public inquiries and reports.
Meanwhile, doctors have been reminded to be extra vigilant for signs of Sars when diagnosing illness among their patients. -- AP
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