BEIJING, May 1 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - With the SARS outbreak tightening its grip around the country, China honored frontline medical workers of the country's ongoing battle against the fatal disease on Labor Day Thursday, May 1.

In times of national difficulties, such as natural disasters, the Chinese government often invokes revolutionary spirit and patriotism as tools to unite the masses behind its goals and to avoid dissent, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Six medical workers from three medical institutions received the May 1 Labor Day medal for their dedication to their work, the communist party mouthpiece, People's Daily, said.

"These model workers and their work units are excellent representatives of the working class in modern times," said the newspaper's front page editorial.

"Chinese people will not duck their heads to any difficulty, so any difficulty will not prevent the Chinese people from going on the road pointed by the 16th Party Congress," the paper said.

Chinese media Thursday portrayed doctors as revolutionary heroes.

The People's Daily editorial countered criticisms that the government initially failed to respond quickly to the crisis.

“The Party attaches great importance to the outbreak of SARS, reacted quickly, took decisive measures, and led the masses to carry out SARS prevention and control struggles," it said.

The editorial called on Chinese people to unite together "with one heart and one mind" to fight SARS and said building up the economy and expanding domestic demand should be a focus for everyone.

China is comparing the fight against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome to a war and the tasks at hospitals to a battle field.

A full-page spread in the Beijing Times depicted a masked doctor with his fist in the air against a red background, evoking images of communist revolution fighters.

Since the government admitted covering up the severity of SARS on April 20, the number of cases has risen to 3,460 nationwide with 159 deaths.

Meanwhile, 11,000 people were put under quarantine in the Chinese capital Thursday and millions more spooked by SARS hunkered down in homes around the country on an eerily quiet May Day, AFP reported.

Authorities desperately want to avoid the virus being spread by the vast numbers of people who usually travel during the holiday period.

And their pleas appeared to work with shopping malls and tourist sites in Beijing, ordinarily thronged, empty.

Vendors said the last time it was this quiet was after the Tiananmen Square crackdown on democracy protestors in 1989 when martial law was imposed.

Normally bustling streets and busy train stations were virtually deserted, as people took heed of government advice to stay inside despite glorious weather as the death toll nationwide climbed by 11 to 170 and the number of infections rose by 187 to 3,638.

All entertainment venues in Beijing and other cities have been shut and now indoor sports facilities, from swimming pools to basketball courts, have fallen victim.

The Beijing Youth Daily said the city decided to close them for an indefinite period.

As the number of SARS deaths in Beijing rose by seven to 82 and confirmed cases by 122 to 1,415, authorities were taking no chances, according to AFP.

They said 11,282 people had now been quarantined, the People's Daily Online reported, quoting the Beijing Anti-SARS United Task Force, a group set up to deal with the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

The WHO said several donor agencies and private firms have indicated their willingness to donate supplies for SARS hospitals.

A United Nations System Disaster Management team, meanwhile, will hold a meeting Friday, May 2, to discuss government requests for assistance and the country’s current needs, the WHO said.

It is not just Beijing's healthcare system that is stretched to the limit. The toll is being felt around the country where there is a severe shortage of medical facilities and staff.

The World Health Organization warned hospitals in the Chinese capital needed more specialized medical equipment like ventilators and ambulances if they are to properly combat SARS.

"There is a need for more specialized equipment such as masks, gloves, ventilatory equipment, layer protective gear and ambulances to transport patients between hospitals," said WHO epidemiologist James Maguire after visiting one SARS hospital.

"There are indications that other hospitals in the city are in need of more or better supplies."

Maguire made the comments after touring the Beijing Xiong Ke Hospital which the WHO said was opening a new wing with 100 more beds for SARS patients Thursday.

On Wednesday, Beijing's acting mayor Wang Qishan warned that a shortage of hospital beds was preventing patients getting timely treatment.

In Inner Mongolia, construction began on a new 1,000-bed hospital as the number of SARS cases in the northern autonomous region rapidly escalates.