Special Olympics athletes from China and Hong Kong will be refused permission to travel to Ireland next month despite being taken off the World Health Organization's (WHO) travel advisory list.
The WHO this morning withdrew its warning against travel to Hong Kong and the southern Chinese province of Guangdong after declaring both countries to have the outbreak of the Severe Acure Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus under control.
But the Department of Health confirmed that both countries remained "on the WHO list of affected areas" and their athletes would not be allowed to travel here.
A statement released by the Department noted it was positive that "the chain of local transmission in both areas is now very narrow". They added that the SARS expert group will be meeting soon to discuss the latest WHO advice.
The travel alerts to Guangdong and Hong Kong were issued by the WHO on April 2nd, but it said today the SARS outbreaks there were under control.
The Geneva-based UN health agency said it continued to recommend that all international passengers leaving Hong Kong and Guangdong be screened to ensure those suffering from SARS or who are contacts of SARS cases do not travel.
On Wednesday, the expert group advising the Department of Health on the risk of SARS decided the ban on competitors from four countries participating in the Special Olympics should stay.
The Government last week dismissed accusations of discrimination over its decision to prevent to ask 260 athletes and assistants from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and the Philippines not to travel to the Games over fears of the spread of SARS.
The WHO said the move was inconsistent with its latest guidelines for large-attendance events.
Earlier this week, the Department of Health lifted the ban on the Philippines after the WHO removed it from its list of infected regions.