AAP
SARS creating 'fear of flying'
April 04, 2003
THE Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) scare has sparked a fear of flying among Asian travellers, a leading tourism lobby group has said.
Australian Tourism Export Council deputy managing director Greg Thomas said all inbound operators surveyed had reported "significant cancellations" from Asia.
He said usually Australia would have benefited as an alternative destination for an Asian market put off from travelling to the United States or Europe because of the Iraq conflict.
But Asians had cut back dramatically on all travel because of the virus.
"There is this fear of getting on a plane or going to an airport," Mr Thomas said of SARS.
"There is a wait-and-see attitude."
SARS has killed about 80 people in Asia and Canada and affected more than 2,200 people in over a dozen countries.
Mr Thomas said it was still too early to put a figure on the impact of SARS on inbound tourism to Australia.
But with the Asian market making up more than 40 per cent of all arrivals, it will make a significant dent into the $17 billion annual inbound industry.
The Australian Tourist Commission had attributed half of a 30 per cent fall in forward bookings to the SARS scare.
Mr Thomas said the group travel market was the most severely affected.
He said in particular a number of large groups, some up to 2,000 strong, scheduled to arrive in Australia over the next couple of weeks, could be cancelled.
The virus has already been held responsible for the postponement of the Asia Pacific Summit in Brisbane and a dramatic slashing in delegates to other major conferences.
"The business outlook for the next quarter is looking extremely flat," Mr Thomas said.
"The next stage for us is how the industry can discuss with government on ways we can go forward."
AAP
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AAP
SARS doctors to staff airports
April 04, 2003
DOCTORS and nurses will be placed at major Australian airports from tomorrow to boost protection against the deadly flu-like disease SARS.
Federal Health Minister Kay Patterson said health professionals would be on call at airports to provide advice and assess possible cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
There were seven suspected SARS cases in Australia, including three young Canadian siblings admitted to a Melbourne hospital overnight.
Senator Patterson said airlines would also begin making onboard health announcements about the disease, while incoming and outgoing passengers would be given leaflets about how to protect themselves from SARS.
"I believe we've acted in a prudent and responsible and appropriate way, and we have very, very good procedures in place in our hospitals," she said.
The Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer Richard Smallwood said Australia already had strong measures in place to identify and isolate people possibly ill with SARS.
"What is happening at the moment is just a step up," he said.
"It would be a wise and prudent move to have clinical expertise actually at the airport."
But Professor Smallwood said the measures relied on "people being responsible".
"We are not quarantining everybody that comes in from Hong Kong for example," he said.
"It does require them to protect themselves and those around them by getting in touch with health authorities or their doctor as soon as they begin to feel unwell."
He said incoming aircrews who identified passengers with possible SARS symptoms would radio ahead to quarantine officials and ask for a medical assessment and possible hospitalisation.
Airlines and state health authorities would also keep in contact with other passengers over the three to 10 day incubation period for SARS.
Prof Smallwood said it could be several more days until it was known if the ill girl in Melbourne had SARS and a reliable test for the virus could still be some weeks away.
"At the moment we don't have SARS in the country.
There has been no transmission in Australia," he said.
Australia has notified the World Health Organisation (WHO) of one case of SARS but the victim, a British tourist, has recovered and returned home.
But, aside from the three children in Victoria - a girl and two boys who were visiting from Canada - there were now two suspected cases in NSW and another in Victoria.
Prof Smallwood said it was still unclear whether SARS was spread through personal contact alone, as there was a chance the virus could live on items like glasses or plates for two to three hours.
"So someone who touches that surface or picks up that glass may then put their hand to their mouth or their face and infect themselves," he said.
He said Australia had no power to prevent people with suspected SARS boarding inbound ships or aircraft overseas, and could only advise Australians who were feeling ill not to travel.
AAP