BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhuanet) -- The World Health Organization on Tuesday removed Beijing from its list of SARS-infected areas and lifted its travel advisory against the city, saying the risk for travelers to Beijing "is now minimum," and calling the development a "milestone" in the fight against SARS around the world.

The decision took effect immediately, Shigeru Omi, WHO regionaldirector for the Western Pacific, announced here at a press conference jointly held by WHO and China's Ministry of Health.

"WHO has decided that the travel advisory against Beijing is lifted with immediate effect," he said. "WHO concluded that the risk to travelers to Beijing is now minimum."

He also announced that Beijing was removed from the list of areas with recent local transmission, "because WHO concluded that the chain of human-to-human transmission in Beijing has been broken."

"Today's development is a milestone for the fight against SARS not only in China but also the world, because from today WHO has no more advisory against anywhere around the world," he said.

Meanwhile, the WHO official called for continued vigilance against the disease in spite of excellent achievements. "Surveillance has to be maintained for at least one year," he said. 　　

Beijing had recorded a total of 2,521 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome and 191 deaths as of Monday, and reported no new SARS cases for consecutive 13 days. The Chinese mainland as a whole reported 5,326 SARS cases and 347 deaths as of Monday.

The WHO issued a travel advisory on April 23 against non-essential travel to the Chinese capital. Enditem