Chungnam to Cancel Relocation Plan of Residents in Bird Flu Infected Area

The provincial plan to relocate residents from a bird flu-infected village in Chungnam was overturned two days later. “We have examined the plan to temporarily relocate 40 people from 11 families in the chicken farm area of the village, but this was cancelled because it might serve to acknowledge the flu’s possible infection on the human body,” announced the provincial office of Chungnam on February 8. Promoted solely by the province of Chungnam, the lack of substantial discussion of the plan without the involvement of residents and the city of Chunan resulted in the confusion.

The province had previously announced in the “Emergency Meeting of Quarantine Against Bird Flu” on February 8 that they would displace the residents to rental apartments in Chunan and return them after two to three months when the flu is fully preventable and there are no further cases of it.

“There was no case in the world so far of relocating residents within areas with the bird flu infection,” said a related official in Chungnam, adding, “The plan was just one an among many others which was up for further consideration.”

The city of Chunan had already slaughtered the infected chickens and was averse to the relocation plan because the residents were against it for various reasons, including the problem of maintaining their homes if they were forced to move out mid-winter.

doyoce@donga.com