이재민 임시거주시설 공동생활에 방역 비상
The number of people in South Korea who have had to move to temporary shelters due to extreme flooding has risen to several thousand.
Due to lingering fears of COVID-19, the centers are carrying out virus prevention measures to keep people safe.
Lee Kyung-eun reports.
This school gym is one of several temporary shelters in the central city of Anseong.
Last week, some 90 people had to move here due to extreme flooding and landslides.
With lingering fears of a COVID-19 outbreak, a set of virus prevention rules are in place, like checking temperatures and keeping one meter distance between tents.
However, not all of the rules are being adhered to.
That’s partly due to the physical limitations of the center, like the public shower booths and broken ventilation systems.
But it’s also hard to get active cooperation from people who are already dealing with a horrific situation.
"Honestly, I’m more concerned about the flooding than COVID-19 because that’s what I am dealing with right now."
"Most people here have forgotten about the outbreak. Some are not wearing face masks. The problem is that we have all ages here, including those in their 40s to 70s."
There isn’t much quarantine managers can do at the moment.
"We instruct people to wear masks and sanitize their hands every day, but because they are already in shock we can’t pressure them that much."
As of Monday, some seven thousand people across South Korea are living in these kind of shelters.
And it’s not that different in other shelters in the city, where there are also a lot of elderly people.
Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.
