NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]

The Seoul city government will introduce QR code-based e-questionnaires at 83 rapid antigen testing sites across the city starting today. The city government expects the e-questionnaires will reduce waiting time for patients who currently have to fill in hand-written forms about their symptoms. It will also provide on its smart map information about over 1,000 clinics that low-risk COVID-19 patients exercising at-home care can use to receive over-the-phone consultations and prescriptions.
Cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been reported at duck and chicken farms in Chungcheong-do provinces. The Central Disaster Management Headquarters said today that a Chungcheongbuk-do farm with some 12,000 ducks and a Chungcheongnam-do farm with nearly 120,000 chickens were confirmed to have been affected by the virus. The headquarters said the nationwide intensive disinfection period will be extended to this Sunday. It also asked farmers to disinfect their farms between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. everyday, the time when disinfectants are found to work best.
With the Russia-Ukraine crisis escalating, the South Korean government issued a travel ban for the Eastern European country. The category-four travel warning went into effect from midnight on Sunday. The Foreign Ministry said 281 Korean nationals were in Ukraine as of 10 a.m. Monday, down 25 from last night. A ministry official predicted 100 more Koreans will likely leave the country on today and tomorrow.