21st May, Kuala Lumpur: The World Health Organization (WHO) has removed the Philippines from its list of areas with recent local transmission of the deadly SARS virus, the health department said on Wednesday.

WHO relayed the news on Tuesday to Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit who is attending the UN organisation's general assembly in Geneva, said Ms Consorcia Quizon, head of the health department's national epidemiology centre.

"The delisting was very important to us," she said over DZBB radio here. She said it would cause certain countries that have banned Filipino workers due to fears of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) epidemic to lift the ban.

The Philippines has reported 12 Sars cases including two deaths, but said the disease has been contained by prompt and effective quarantine.

MS Quizon said countries that have issued travel advisories against the Philippines over Sars would now have no reason to deter their citizens from visiting the country.

The WHO said in its Sars website that 'the last probable case that was locally acquired in the Philippines was isolated on 30 April, meaning that opportunities for spread of the virus to others were significantly reduced.

"As 20 days have now passed with no further cases detected, WHO can safely conclude that local transmission has been interrupted."

"We will have the assistance of health authority personnel at the bowling centre during the championship to assist any participants should they require them," said Dr. Danny Santos, secretary general of PBC.

According to him, the 32nd Boysen-PBC Philippines Open will go on as scheduled and that they expect good response from neigbouring countries in Asia.

Story courtesy of AFP.