[Report] "Such Chaos Like Never Before" 5 Hours in Line Under 36-Degree Heat... 'Namchangwon Nonghyup Branch' at a Critical Juncture

Screening clinic set up at Yongji Culture Park, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam./Photo by Sanghyun Lee lsh2055@

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] "In my sixty years of life, I've never seen such chaos."

On the 5th, Mr. A, who runs a restaurant in Changwon, Gyeongnam, expressed his concern, saying, "Sales have plummeted and running the store is at its limit, but the end of COVID-19 is nowhere in sight."

As the fourth wave of COVID-19 continues for a month, the infection rate in Changwon, Gyeongnam, linked to Masan entertainment district outbreaks, shows no signs of slowing down.

On this day, Changwon City began operating temporary screening clinics at Yongji Cultural Park and Gaeumjeong-dong in relation to the Namchangwon Nonghyup cluster infection.

At the Yongji Cultural Park clinic, which started testing at 10 a.m., citizens gathered early in the morning, surrounding the large park with crowds. Citizens, anxious and enduring the scorching heat, had to bear the inconvenience of undergoing testing.

Citizen A, who came out after testing, said, "I waited from morning without even having lunch and endured the heat for a full five hours to get tested," expressing anxiety, "I hope I don't get infected."

Citizen B, who stepped out of the waiting line to rest, said, "I came at 10 a.m. and waited in line for about four hours. The elderly were allowed to rest in the shade, so they are resting now," adding, "Everyone waiting here has skipped lunch and waited for hours since morning, but we haven't even received a single bottle of water," voicing complaints.

In front of the Ga-eumjeong-dong Wetland Park screening clinic, which began operating at 2 p.m., citizens are spreading mats and waiting in the shade. Photo by Sanghyun Lee @lsh2055

Seeing the situation, a concerned citizen bent down to help.

Citizen C, distributing water, said, "I'm worried about the health of the elderly in this 36-degree scorching heat," and with teary eyes added, "I hope COVID-19 ends soon so we can return to normal life." Health authorities, understanding the difficult situation, were worried that people might remove their masks while drinking water.

The clinic in front of Seongju Elementary School in Gaeumjeong-dong seemed relatively free as it issued numbered tickets. However, there was no separate notice that the day's tickets were sold out, causing dissatisfaction among citizens who made fruitless trips in the heat.

Also, without any separate guidance on waiting times, citizens had to endure discomfort while battling the heat, waiting uncertainly.

A citizen who did not receive a numbered ticket expressed frustration, saying, "It would be nice if there was at least some information about the time slots or when to come, but nothing was announced."

A Changwon City official explained, "Some citizens positively evaluate the disaster text message dispatch, but others find it annoying or stressful," adding, "This is a matter that requires expert opinions such as epidemiologists, and until the second day after the confirmed case on the 3rd, we did not receive recommendations to send disaster messages."