WHO Lifts Taiwan's Travel Warning over SARS /世衛取消台灣旅遊警示
The World Health Organization officially announced its decision to lift warning against travel to Taiwan on June 17th, a solid proof of international recognition of Taiwan's SARS prevention effort. With this heartening announcement, celebrations and praying rites or ceremonies were held all over Taiwan in the evening. Mayors of Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung County, and Pingtung County─the three districts belonging to the same regional anti-SARS campaign─invite hundreds of representatives of tourism and medicine to the praying rite in Yuan-heng Temple to join and root for Taiwan.
Mayor Hsieh points out that SARS tested not only our epidemic prevention abilities but also people's love, human nature, and the city's physical health. In Kaohsiung City, class suspension in schools and infection within communities or municipal hospitals were prevented, thanks to the efforts of all institutions, organizations, and individual citizens. Mayor Hsieh also indicates that people's cooperation in the anti-SARS campaign has been rewarded by the effective control and mitigation of the epidemic. SARS teaches us the ever-changing and hardly-foreseeable nature of human life and the importance of cherishing our present good fortune and being kind and loving, Mayor Hsieh says. He believes that sincerity and kindness between individuals can help fend off misfortune and disasters. The cancel of Taiwan travel warning is evidence of our initial victory in the anti-SARS campaign, whose next phase will be to promote commerce and to prosper economy. He also expresses his hope that the nation will greet a whole new future with a heart of confidence, peacefulness, and clarity.
Nevertheless, Mayor Hsieh reminds everyone to keep performing the "Administration of Individual Health", washing hands frequently and taking temperatures, for those are not only necessary for fighting SARS but also good for personal health.
世界衛生組織六月十七日傳來舉國振奮的好消息，正式宣布取消對台灣的旅遊警示，證明台灣對抗「嚴重呼吸道症候群(SARS)」的努力與成效獲得國際肯定。晚間立即舉行為台灣祈福消災儀式，由抗疫同一陣線的高高屏三縣市首長邀集相關醫護與觀光業界代表百餘人，在元亨寺舉行祈福儀式，大家心手相連一同為台灣加油。
謝市長表示，SARS一方面考驗我們的防疫能力，一方面也考驗人情、人性及城市的體質，高雄市此番抗疫在各界的努力下，能夠保住社區、市立醫院、學校沒有發生感染及停課事件，除了感謝市民及各界的配合外，如此成果，足堪告慰市民。
謝市長指出，SARS使得我們體會到人生的無常，惜福、慈悲的重要，大家真心真情彼此對待，災難自然遠離。他說，台灣順利除名代表全民努力奮鬥終於有了初步的勝利，防疫抗煞自此也邁向全力拼經濟、振興商機的階段，他衷心期許大家以心安、心靜、心清迎接全新的未來。
謝市長提醒大家，接下來仍要持續落實健康自我管理運動，保持勤洗手、量體溫的習慣非常重要，因為這不僅是要對抗SARS，對健康也有正面的效果。