Athletes from Hong Kong will be able to travel to Ireland for this month's Special Olympics despite a previous ban. Hong Kong today reported a single SARS death but no new cases of the respiratory virus.
The decision was made following consideration of a proposal from Hong Kong officials, by the Department of Health's SARS expert group.
Under the new arrangement, Hong Kong athletes will travel to Macau - a non-affected region - on Monday and will remain in quarantine there until they set off for Dublin on June 19th.
Before departing for Macau medical staff from the Hong Kong department of health will assess whether the group is fit to travel.
At a training camp in Macau their condition will be closely monitored.
An Irish medical consultant will be on stand-by in Dublin during the course of the competition.
Hong Kong today has reported one more SARS death but no new cases of the deadly respiratory virus.
The latest fatality, involving a 57-year-old man who wassuffering from a chronic illness, raised the death toll to 287 from 1,752 cases.
Earlier this week it was decided that athletes from parts of China and Canada not affected by Sars would be allowed to take part in the games, which start on June 21st.
The only athletes now prevented from travelling to the games are from Taiwan and from certain parts of China. Toronto in Canada is still on the World Health Organisation's list of SARS affected areas but there are no athletes from Toronto on the Canadian delegation.
Most of the athletes with disabilities will arrive in Ireland on June 16th when they will stay with their host towns across the country.
They will make their way to Dublin on June 20 ready for the opening ceremony the following day.
PA