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China says 34 killed by virus
BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Chinese officials say some 31 people from Guangdong province and three in Beijing have died from the mysterious pneumonia virus which has spread around the world. The official statement Wednesday also said 792 people from Guangdong were infected with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that appears resistant to standard treatments. They were the first definitive figures released by the Chinese government, though it was already known that 10 had been killed by the bug in Hong Kong. Health officials in China also said that three people had died in Beijing from the virus. Another five had contracted SARS. The government had previously denied there had been any SARS cases in the capital. Singapore announced it is to close all its schools for more than two weeks in a bid to contain the spread of a the virus which has killed at least 50 people around the world. All primary, secondary schools and junior colleges will be closed until April 6, an official in the government press office told CNN. The move to close Singapore's schools came after the city-state reported its first death from the condition. Hospitals in Singapore say they have at least 60 confirmed cases of the illness. The government has ordered more than 700 residents suspected of coming into contact with the virus to quarantine themselves at home for 10 days. (Stay at home order) In all, the United Nations health body, the World Health Organization (WHO), says about 1,300 cases have been reported worldwide since the spread of SARS was detected in March. Hong Kong deathsThe Chinese territory of Hong Kong has been at the center of this month's scare with 10 people dead from the virus and more than 280 infected. Health officials there say patients diagnosed with SARS are being treated with a large spectrum of anti-viral and anti-bacterial drugs, and most are responding well to the medication. The WHO has called on the Chinese authorities to provide for help tracking down the origin of severe acute respiratory syndrome in China. The health body has so far not issued a travel alert over the disease, which has spread to several countries after being transmitted by airline passengers. The organization says the situation is being kept under constant review. Despite that, alarm over the disease is already having an economic impact on Hong Kong, one of the main centers of the outbreak. Businesses in the tourism and hospitality trade say takings are down about 20 percent as hundreds of mainland Chinese tourists cancel trips to the territory. -- CNN Correspondent Andrew Brown contributed to this report
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