Nineteen Malaysians suspected of having severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are under quarantine while 59 similar cases were reported throughout the country, the Health Ministry revealed today.

Among the 19, five were reported from Kuala Lumpur, four respectively in Selangor, Perak and Sarawak, and o­ne each in Johor and Kelantan.

Health Minister Chua Jui Meng told reporters after a cabinet meeting today that those quarantined were under close monitoring by the hospitals.

'Dedicated hospitals'

He also announced that state general hospitals have been identified as "dedicated hospitals" to treat suspected SARS patients.

"Suspected SARS patients will be isolated in each state and the ministry has instructed doctors to refer them to the dedicated hospitals," he said.

Chua ( left ) said that his ministry will give daily briefings o­n SARS from tomorrow adding that he would be briefing the nation o­n national television tonight and tomorrow.

The daily briefing, he said, is important to ensure any information o­n SARS would o­nly come from the ministry and preventing the local media from publishing news without official confirmation.

"We will have the daily briefing because we don't want to cause public panic. Don't link every death to SARS, we don't want any irresponsible reporting or inaccurate information about the disease being disseminated," he said.

A special national committee comprising 11 ministries and authorities was also set up to tackle the disease as decided by the cabinet today, the minister said.

The committee, headed by Chua, comprises ministries of health, home, transport, information, education, culture, arts and tourism, national unity and social development, rural development and human resources.

The two authorities involved are the immigration and police departments.

Tasks drawn up

Chua said the committee will meet tomorrow to plan out how to carry out their various tasks based o­n a list of measures endorsed by the cabinet today.

Three ministries - education, national unity and social development and rural development - are tasked to monitor teachers and students from kindergarten level upwards.

Schools will be told to inform the three ministries immediately of any suspected SARS case and students will be encouraged to stay away from school if they do not feel well.

The transport ministry is tasked to ensure the World Health Organsation (WHO) advisory that all passengers arriving from SARS-affected countries have been screened.

"They must be screened before departure from their respective homelands, and those not screened have to be isolated at the back of the plane and (the transport ministry) will send them to the nearest hospitals for examination upon their arrival.

"Only after screening will these travellers be permitted to go to other places in the country," he said.

The Human Resources Ministry is tasked to increase awareness and ensure the safety and health among workers while the information ministry will ensure that official statements o­n SARS will be given high priority.

"The immigration department will temporarily freeze the application of immigrants and will exercise due caution in issuing visas to tour groups coming from the affected countries," Chua said.

He reiterated that the government would not impose travel prohibition for Malaysians working and studying in Singapore although SARS has claimed three lives out of 92 confirmed cases in the island republic.

List awaited

Meanwhile, Health Ministry director-general Dr Mohd Taha Arif ( photo ) said the ministry was still waiting for the list of people who had come into contact with the Singaporean woman who died o­n Monday after she visited Sarawak between March 15-18 from the Singapore government.

Asked o­n the 53 Malaysians who had stayed at the Metropole hotel in Hong Kong, the director-general said they have contacted all except o­ne, claiming they are all "Ok".

(The ministry earlier said health authorities are looking for 55 names - 52 Malaysians and three Singaporeans - who stayed in the hotel during the outbreak but later found out it was actually 57 people - 53 Malaysians, three Singaporeans and o­ne Australian.)

Mohd Taha added that the ministry is also waiting for the post-mortem report o­n the death of an elderly man in the Kuala Lumpur general hospital o­n Sunday.

The man from Jerantut reportedly came down with SARS syndromes. He had returned from Guang Dong, China.