LOCAL EFFORTS TO CONTAIN SPREAD OF VIRUS

[Anchor Lead]

People in Gyeongsangnam-do Province are making concerted efforts to fight COVID-19 as well. The province has seen 48 confirmed cases so far. The residents are distributing home-made cotton masks and lessors started lowering rent.

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​Residents wearing masks and gloves cut the fabric along the patterns and sow the pieces. Insert a strap on each side and a cotton mask with flower prints is ready. These are hand-made products created to help those who are unable to purchase masks.

[Soundbite] PARK YANG-HO(MIRYANG RESIDENT) : "I noticed people couldn't buy masks even after waiting in line for hours. So I'm hoping these hand-made masks help the people or organization in need."

Some 100 hand-made masks sewn by these residents over a week were delivered to a welfare center for the disabled.

[Soundbite] KIM SANG-EOP(DIRECTOR, MIRYANG WELFARE CENTER FOR THE DISABLED) : "People coming here will make good use of them. It's a big help to us. Thank you."

A mask manufacturer in Miryang is giving out disposable masks free of charge. One person is limited to 20 masks. Five thousand were gone in no time.

[Soundbite] BAEK JAE-MIN(GREEN TISSUE) : "We will donate next month as well. We are thinking about donating wipes and other sanitizers beside masks."

One apartment resident left a hand sanitizer inside an elevator with a note saying, "Let's overcome this difficult time together." A building owner in Changwon, who also runs his own small business, decided to lower rent by 20% for two months.

[Soundbite] KIM HEE-GON(LESSOR) : "I'm a business owner myself and experiencing a hard time because of the epidemic. So imagine how difficult it is for the tenants. I wanted to help them out."

Gyeongsangnam-do Province has started the "Good Landlord Movement" and plans to provide tax exemptions to the owners who take part in the rent reduction campaign.