S.Korea's total COVID cases top 10 million as crematoria, funeral homes overwhelmed

FILE PHOTO: People wait in line to undergo the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at a testing site which is temporarily set up at a public health center in Seoul, South Korea, February 24, 2022. REUTERS/Heo Ran/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's total coronavirus infections topped 10 million, or nearly 20% of its population, authorities said on Wednesday, as surging severe cases and deaths increasingly put a strain on crematories and funeral homes nationwide.

The country has been battling a record COVID-19 wave driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant even as it largely scrapped its once aggressive tracing and quarantine efforts and eased social distancing curbs.