Most of the construction sites in Beijing are still operating
normally due to strict SARS prevention and control measures among
rural laborers working on the projects.
Beijing's vice-mayor Zhang Mao said on Friday the measures were
necessary to protect the health of these workers, the city's
largest floating population, most of who are from rural areas of
other provinces.
Currently, Beijing has over 3,600 construction sites, involving
some 620,000 rural laborers.
The municipal government has strictly isolated the building sites
where SARS cases have already been reported. In other sites,
workers' movements have been controlled and strict registration and
temperature report systems have also been established.
The government also required improvement in laborers' living
conditions. Most of the workers have moved into better premises
from the previous work sheds, which were usually crowded and
unsanitary.
Though SARS hasn't spread much among the construction sites, more
rural laborers and students have returned to Beijing in recent days
with the alleviation of the epidemic, adding to the complexity of
SARS control work in the capital, Zhang said.
He
urged related departments to further strengthen epidemic prevention
measures on all building sites to prevent the recurrence of SARS
cases.
(Xinhua News Agency May 30, 2003)