Preventing the Recurrence of the Resurgence 'Makeup Crisis'... 652 Additional Burial Spaces Added (Update)

"Renovation of 231 Cremators and Expansion of 6 Units Underway"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The government is upgrading cremation facilities, including increasing resting spaces, in preparation for a resurgence of COVID-19.

On the 22nd, Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, stated, "Currently, the daily average number of deaths due to COVID-19 is below 20 to 30, but as confirmed cases increase, the number of deaths may also rise. Accordingly, we are preparing a response system for cremation facilities."

First, the government plans to renovate 231 out of 376 cremators nationwide and add 6 more cremators. Currently, excluding standby and broken cremators, 310 cremators are operational, and the plan is to expand this to 325.

Additionally, anticipating a shortage of cremation facility operators, the government has secured a list of 53 retirees. They have also completed negotiations to dispatch about 380 students from funeral service departments at five universities nationwide to work as interns at cremation facilities.

To prepare for a shortage of resting spaces in case of cremation delays, an additional 652 resting spaces will be provided at funeral halls, cremation facilities, and COVID-19 dedicated hospitals. As a result, the total resting spaces will increase from the current 8,662 to 9,314.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters explained that the current utilization rate of cremation facilities nationwide is in the low 60% range, indicating available capacity. The cremation rate by the third day is also in the mid-80% range, similar to the same period last year (84.1%). Typically, July to September is known as a period with fewer deaths.

Earlier, during the Omicron wave in February and March, there was a 'funeral crisis' caused by a sharp increase in COVID-19 deaths, resulting in delayed cremations and a shortage of resting spaces. The cremation rate by the third day, which was 77.9% in February, dropped to a low of 20% on March 19.

An official from the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said, "To prevent inconvenience to the public due to cremation delays, active cooperation from local governments and the funeral industry is necessary. The 17 metropolitan cities and provinces are conducting simulations on cremation demand and supply capacity of cremation facilities within their jurisdictions. Based on the results, we ask them to thoroughly review measures to enhance cremation capacity and proactively prepare for a COVID-19 resurgence."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.