No new SARS cases were reported on the Chinese mainland in the 24 hours from 10:00 a.m. Friday to 10:00 a.m. Saturday, China's Health Ministry said in Beijing on Saturday afternoon.

The ministry said that SARS patient Song in Anhui Province is now in good condition with normal temperature for 15 straight days and all the people isolated for medical observation in the province have been proved free of the disease and thus removed from quarantine.

Meanwhile, the ministry said Beijing SARS patient Zhang is in critical condition due to previous diseases, but all the other SARS patients are in stable condition and keep recovering.

So far none of the people in close contact with the reported SARS cases in Beijing have shown abnormal symptoms and the city has removed 693 from medical observation, the ministry said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 9, 2004)