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| A resting healthcare worker closes his eyes near a makeshift COVID-19 test center in Seoul Station, Dec. 14. The government established 150 test centers across the country to conduct free tests for three weeks that day. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Mother Nature was cruel. It didn't allow the pandemic-weary people to enjoy a brief respite from the virus-driven stress during the summer when infections slowed.
Torrential rain ripped through the nation for over two months starting in June, forcing over 1,000 people to evacuate their homes, resulting in dozens of deaths and dozens more people missing. Around the time the natural disaster ended, confirmed infections soared again.
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| Workers check Jamsu Bridge, Aug. 5, after it was flooded due to torrential rain during the summer. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
The government played the blame game. It blamed protesters who gathered in Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, Aug. 15, for anti-Moon Jae-in rallies for the rise of infection cases, cracking down on those who initiated them.
The measure drew a cynical response from the public.
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| A model wearing a face mask poses at the Hill of Win Park near Gangnam Station in southern Seoul, Aug. 14. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
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| An unusually high number of people show up at Guro market, southwestern Seoul, Sept. 22, a week before the Chuseok long weekend, looking for construction jobs. Foremen and construction managers hire workers on the spot and take them to construction sites in the greater Seoul area. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
The cases became resurgent from Aug. 14, a day before the scheduled rallies. Considering the virus has an incubation period of five days to two weeks, experts debunked the idea that the infections were a result of the anti-Moon Jae-in protests.
The government stayed mum on its flawed virus measures. It encouraged people to travel to other cities and gather in movie houses and museums, saying doing so would help the economy. This turned out to be premature.
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| A sweeper stands in front of garbage at a landfill site in Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 20. An increase in instant food consumption resulted in a pileup of waste. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
Healthcare workers suffered the consequences of the government's mishandling of the COVID-19 disaster. As confirmed cases soared again in the third wave of outbreaks, some healthcare workers are experiencing burnout. As the number of COVID-19 patients keeps soaring, surpassing the milestone 1,000 daily cases, their fatigue has reached a peak. News reports about the shortage of intensive care unit beds have also scared the public.
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