Taiyuan, capital city of Shanxi Province in north China, will adjust the summer vacation for children of kindergartens and primary and middle schools, as an emergency measure to prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in schools.

Under to the new decision, kindergartens and primary and middle schools in the urban districts of the city will have 17 days off from April 21 to May 7. The classes for April 21-30 will be postponed to July 5-14. The summer vacation will be put off to July 15.

According to the provincial health department, Shanxi has by now discovered 95 SARS cases, plus 35 suspected SARS patients. The 130 patients are receiving treatment in hospitals, mainly in the city of Taiyuan.

Medical experts from the Ministry of Health have warned that there may exist a trend of increasing SARS cases in the province.

So far, no SARS cases have been found among the city's 500,000 students. Education on SARS prevention measures has been popular in all kinds of schools in the province.

The first SARS patient was found in Shanxi on March 7, involving a 28-year-old female.

(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2003)