NATIONWIDE ASF OUTBREAK ALERT

[Anchor Lead]

It's been four days since the outbreak of African swine fever in Korea. Two more suspected cases have been reported in northern Gyeonggido Province early Friday, leading quarantine officers to conduct an analysis at the farms. Meanwhile in most of the areas, the movement ban has been lifted, but quarantine control in livestock facilities remains.

[Pkg]

The nationwide movement ban has been lifted, and subsequently, access to hog farms and slaughterhouses nationwide have resumed. However, 437 hog farms in six cities and townships including Yeoncheon and Paju will be banned from shipping out their hogs until October 8th. Their combined livestock reaches 700,000 hogs. For all other areas in Gyeonggi-do Province and Incheon, the shipment ban will remain in effect until September 24. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is urging hog farmers to minimize hogs' movement and contact with the animals during the quarantine period.

[Soundbite] KIM HYUN-SOO(MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD & RURAL AFFAIRS) : "During the critical period of three weeks, people should refrain from touching their hogs and restrict access to them to outsiders in order to block the virus from spreading further."

Some 6,300 hog farms nationwide have completed emergency disinfection and examination of their facilities. Additional disinfection was conducted by 31 quarantine vehicles in areas subject to intensive control. Calcium oxide has been scattered around hog farms to form a protective layer, and each local government has set up control and disinfection posts to contain the spread of the deadly virus. Meanwhile, the culling of some 15,000 hogs raised by the affected farms and the farms located nearby continues.