Deputy Heads from 22 Cities and Counties Urgently Convened
"Excessive Disinfection and Surveillance Is the Right Answer"
Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeollanam-do Province, has ordered the highest level of quarantine measures across the entire region to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI).
On December 31, Governor Kim convened an emergency disaster response meeting at the provincial government office and emphasized, "This year's highly pathogenic AI is on a completely different scale compared to previous years. Its infectivity is more than ten times higher, and even a moment of complacency could lead to a large-scale outbreak."
The meeting was attended virtually by the heads of departments and bureaus of the province, as well as deputy heads from 22 cities and counties. They conducted a comprehensive review of rapid containment measures at affected farms, control of quarantine zones, and the deployment of disinfection resources.
Governor Kim stated, "If the initial response is delayed, the damage will snowball. Not only must the affected farms be controlled without any gaps, but adjacent areas must also be tightly managed. Surveillance and disinfection should be intensified to a degree that may seem excessive."
He particularly criticized the complacency regarding quarantine among local poultry farmers.
He explained, "The moment farmers think 'it will be fine just this once,' the virus will immediately take advantage. If the virus is ten times stronger, our response must be ten times stronger as well. Farms that fail to follow basic protocols will ultimately put the entire region at risk."
Meanwhile, since October 28, Jeollanam-do Province has been operating the Regional Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to respond to highly pathogenic AI. The province plans to focus on managing quarantine zones by city and county, significantly strengthen disinfection, inspections, and detailed testing, and mobilize all administrative resources to prevent further outbreaks.
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