[앵커]
As the number of new confirmed cases and deaths increases significantly during the Omicron pandemic, related facilities are also gradually revealing their limitations.
In pharmacies, cold medicine is out of stock, so it is difficult to obtain it, and it is difficult to make a reservation for a crematorium.
Reporter Hyerin Kim reports.
[기자]
This is a pharmacy located in Sinjeong-dong, Seoul.
There is a steady stream of customers looking for medicines related to COVID-19 symptoms such as cough, sputum, and fever.
In the past month, when the number of confirmed cases surged, the number of customers looking for cold medicine increased tenfold, making it difficult for pharmacies to find medicine.
Most of the drug wholesale sites have out-of-stock indications on antipyretics and cold medicines.
[김성태 / 약사 : 직거래든, 약품 도매든 약이 없는 상황이어서 주문하는 데 어려움을 겪고 있습니다. 처방전을 받는 분들이 많이 늘어났는데, 일반 의약품뿐만 아니라 전문 의약품도 많이 부족한 상황이고요.]
The same is true for other pharmacies.
I worked overtime and inquired about drug suppliers, but one side of the cold medicine shelf was empty.
Even customers who want to buy medicine often return empty-handed.
“Do you have (cough and sputum medicine)?” “It’s not with us now.”
[강한호 / 약사 : (약을) 추가로 주문은 지금 할 수가 없습니다. 오지를 않습니다. (처방전에 따른 조제약 등은) 성분이 같은 거를 가져다가 대체 조제를 하는데 그게 하루 이틀 일이 아니고, 그마저도 약이 없어서 발을 동동 구르고 있습니다. 약국 개업한 지 40년인데 이런 상황은 처음이고….]
As the number of deaths from COVID-19 is soaring, crematoriums are also in emergency.
This cremation facility in Incheon has been operating its crematorium as much as possible since the beginning of this month, and has been carrying out about 100 cremations a day, but it has already been fully booked for 4 days.
[한상숙 / 인천시설공단 가족공원사업단 사업관리팀장 : (화장 건수를) 30건 정도 늘린 상황이에요. 직원들이 피로감이 계속 누적이 되고 있어서 언제까지 지속할지는 모르겠지만, 많이 힘들어하는 상황입니다.]
As cremation facility reservations become more difficult, the funeral landscape is also changing.
The 3-day market, which had been held as a custom, gradually disappeared, and the rare 5-day market or 6-day market took up most of it.
[화장장 방문 유족 : 저희 같은 경우는 이틀 대기하다가…. 탈상만 3일 하고 시신을 냉동고에 이틀 보관했다가 오늘 (화장하러 온 거죠.)]
As long as the surge in confirmed cases and deaths does not stop amid the Omicron pandemic, the inconvenience of citizens due to overload at the site is expected to continue for the time being.
This is YTN Kim Hye-rin.
YTN Hyerin Kim (khr0809@ytn.co.kr)
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