The punishments were meted out in the course of a broader nationwide campaign targeting officials shirking their duties, the Xinhua news agency said, citing the Ministry of Supervision.

Xinhua did not specify which kinds of punishments were handed out, or describe the nature of the civil servants' negligent acts.

Until China decided to come clean on the SARS epidemic last spring, it appeared to be government policy not to acknowledge the extent of the outbreak.

After the leadership owned up to the crisis on its hands, officials were ordered not to cover anything up, while the health minister and the Beijing mayor both lost their jobs for their handling of the situation.

Despite these warnings, officials were to some extent still slow to act when SARS briefly reemerged this winter, infecting four people.

The fourth patient was not reported until after he was discharged from hospital, causing stern criticism from the World Health Organization.

SARS emerged in southern China towards the end of 2002, and rapidly spread to most corners of the country, killing 349 people. Nearly 800 people died worldwide as the disease jumped to more than 30 countries.

TERRA.WIRE