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Today (24th), the number of new corona cases is expected to be around 400,000.

As the number of confirmed cases skyrocketed, the number of deaths is also recording the worst level in the world.

Funeral homes and crematoriums across the country are already in a serious situation, but the government is repeating the story of stability.



Reporter Han Seong-hee reports.



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Recently, to set up a burial place at a funeral home in the metropolitan area, only the waiting order exceeds dozens of times.



[Metropolitan funeral home staff: There are not enough mortuary rooms, and there are not enough mortuaries, and you will only be responding to the phone saying that there are no constants.

There are also many cases where funerals go to rural areas.]



In some cases, funerals are held for up to 8 days because they cannot find a crematorium.



The utilization rate of crematoriums nationwide has exceeded 100%.



The cause is Corona death, and 7,869 people have died this year, especially in January and February this month, with 5,374 more than double the number of deaths.



As of yesterday, the weekly average daily death rate per 1 million people was 6.63, the second highest in the world after Hungary among countries with a population of 1 million or more.



Omicron's fatality rate is decreasing, but as the number of confirmed cases increases, the number of deaths also increases.



In high-risk groups, such as those over the age of 60, the number of infections increased by tens of thousands a day, increasing the number of deaths.



Experts estimate that there are many deaths that are not captured by government statistics.



It is said that there will be more 'excessive deaths', either due to complications after a full recovery, or due to lack of ward and not being treated in a timely manner.



[Kim Woo-joo/Professor of Infectious Diseases, Korea University Guro Hospital: In Korea too, the number of confirmed deaths so far is about 13,000, but (taking into account the excess death), it can be estimated that 26,000 people, twice the number, can be estimated at the present time…

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The government is repeating the phrase that the health care system is stable.



[Kim Bu-gyeom/Prime Minister: The utilization rate of critically ill beds is relatively stable at 60%.]



The government has again reduced the number of patients monitored twice a day among home-treated patients.



Those over 60 years of age and those with weakened immunity are excluded from the intensive care group if confirmed by the rapid antigen test at the hospital.