Beijingers can return to indoor sports venues from Saturday now that SARS is on the wane.

And library, theatres and cinemas in the capital city are set to follow suit within days.

The National Library will open to readers on Monday.

Of the sports facilities, most will be reopened but swimming pools and sports centers smaller than 50 square meters will remain closed.

Indoor sports venues were closed on 30 April because of the outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).

But while they are reopening their doors, they are still expected to take precautions against SARS, to provide adequate ventilation, and to disinfect regularly.

Across the Chinese mainland, one new SARS case was reported in Sichuan Province, while two people died from the disease in Beijing in the 24 hours to 10 on Friday, the Ministry of Health said.

Beijing reported no new SARS cases for a third consecutive day Friday.

According to the ministry, 99 SARS patients were discharged from hospital upon recovery in the 24-hour period.

Over the same period, the Chinese mainland also reported four new suspected SARS cases: two each in Guangdong and Beijing.

Central China's Henan Province and East China's Anhui Province both reported they had discharged their last SARS patients on Thursday.

Henan province had recorded 29 consecutive days of "zero'' new confirmed SARS cases by 10 am on Thursday.

The Ministry of Health Friday also released a circular which stressed the need to prevent SARS and other infectious diseases around the rising Three Gorges Reservoir.

Governments in Chongqing Municipality and Hubei Province have been advised to take precautions to guarantee water quality in the reservoir.

(China Daily June 7, 2003)