South Korea dials up virus testing with hospital 'phone booths'

A nurse checking a computer screen during a coronavirus test at a testing booth outside Yangji hospital in Seoul on Tuesday (March 17). A hospital has introduced "phone booth"-style coronavirus testing facilities that avoid medical staff having to touch patients directly and cut down disinfection times. - AFP

SEOUL: A South Korean hospital has introduced phone booth-style coronavirus testing facilities that allow medical staff to examine patients from behind the safety of a plastic panel, the latest innovation in the country's drive to track down infections.

The row of four booths -- which use negative air pressure to prevent harmful particles from escaping outside -- stand under a tented shelter outside the H Plus Yangji Hospital in Seoul.