Basel organiser rejects SARS plan

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The organiser of the BASELWORLD watch exhibition has rejected new proposals from Swiss health authorities aimed at limiting the spread of the SARS virus.

The new guidelines would force the organiser to carry out full daily health checks on all delegates from China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam, issue certification to those who had passed the inspection, distribute masks to southeast Asian delegates to be changed every four hours and disinfect stands and display products daily.

In a statement, organiser MCH Swiss Exhibition ceo Rene Kamm said: "We have looked at every possible way of carrying out these new instructions and have realised that the level of responsibility to organise and ensure that these measures are correctly applied, are totally unrealistic and impractical. Even if it had been possible to find the health and medical resources required, the earliest possible date by which this could have been put in place would have been Sunday April 6."

In rejecting the new proposals, the organiser will continue to follow the Federal Council of Switzerland directive of April 1, stating that no personnel from China, Hong Kong, Singapore or Vietnam should be employed by any Basel exhibitor.