TORONTO - More education on the SARS outbreak is needed both domestically and internationally to allay fears that Canada or Toronto are somehow dangerous, the federal and Ontario governments said Friday.

With foreign countries issuing travel advisories and companies warning employees about the hazards posed by Toronto, they said it's critical to dispel the ignorance about the disease before the economic damage gets worse.

``There is no reason for anybody outside of Canada to tell their citizens, their employees not to come to Toronto,'' said federal Transportation Minister David Collenette.

``We shouldn't fan the flames where they don't deserve to exist.''

Numerous countries, including Australia, Ireland, Austria and Jamaica, have warned their citizens to avoid travelling to Canada's largest city in light of the outbreak that has killed 10 people in the Toronto area.

In all, about 250 possible cases have been identified across the country, most in Ontario.

This week, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart warned its employees against travelling to Toronto as a precaution against severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Wal-Mart, which has more than 200 retail stores in Canada, also asked employees or suppliers who have travelled to those areas to stay away from company locations until it was clear they were not infected.

A major medical conference was scrapped, celebrities such as Lisa Marie Presley have put off visits to Toronto and many Chinese restaurants and malls in the city have been nearly emptied of customers.

Premier Ernie Eves said it's clear the epidemic was taking a widening economic toll.

``Obviously it affects tourism, it affects travel, and it affects, sooner or later, not just the government's bottom line, but the bottom line of businesses,'' said Eves.

The premier also suggested Wal-Mart bosses and others shunning Toronto were ignorant, saying they should get the facts from the province's chief medical officer of health or public safety commissioner about how the illness is spread.

``Somebody might want to do some education-checking on SARS itself and exactly what is going on,'' said Eves, who praised front-line health and other workers in containing the outbreak.

Eves also said his caucus was planning to demonstrate its appreciation and solidarity with Toronto's Asian community next week ``in a fairly significant way'' but did not elaborate.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and other cabinet ministers ate at a Chinese restaurant to show federal support for the community.

Collenette expressed confidence the SARS outbreak was well in hand but warned the economic damage could persist.

``What we've got to be careful of is that there's no lasting stigma,'' he said.

``So we all have a duty, not just as Torontonians but as Canadians, to tell people around the world that we're fine.''

He suggested various levels of governments might come up with some kind of ad campaign within the next few weeks to get that message out.

I live in Scarborough Area - and life is normal!

What you read in newspaper is right - there are many cases of SARS and few schools, few hospitals and one office was closed down - but remember Toronto is home of 5 million people, so if you think the every other person is infected or wearing mask or scaring about meeting people then you are wrong.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
A Proud Indian Canadian