Hong Kong reported a record nine SARS deaths in a day on Tuesday, including its youngest victim to date, as the Chinese capital of Beijing at last woke up to a virus creeping into its hinterland. US and Canadian scientists said they had independently mapped the genome of the new virus, raising hopes a test could be developed so treatment can be given as soon as possible.The youngest of Tuesday’s victims was a 32-year-old woman, the youngest yet to die of the disease. The dead also included a pregnant woman. The city also reported 42 new cases. The latest figures bring the Hong Kong death toll to 56 and the number of cases to 1,232.In nearby China, where nearly half of the world’s cases have occurred with 64 dead and more than 1,430 infected, Premier Wen Jiabao and Communist Party boss Hu Jintao appeared in major hospitals and met doctors on the front lines of the battle against SARS.But the disease is spreading around nation. The southeastern province of Fujian reported its first cases. Infections in Beijing rose sharply. More cases were reported in Guangdong, from where the disease originated. Poor northern Shanxi, one of the first provinces to report SARS in travellers from Guangdong, saw an alarming spike in reported cases to 82 since March.In Hong Kong, the cabinet huddled to discuss how to ease the pain of Hong Kong’s seven million people. About 60,000 restaurant and hotel workers have either lost their jobs or are on unpaid leave. Unions say the jobless rate may hit eight percent.
