As coronavirus infections surpassed 7,000 in Korea, the number of people in self-quarantine at home has risen to over 100,000 if their families are included.

In Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang Province, a hotbed of the infections, some 3,000 confirmed cases are staying in half-way houses due to a lack of hospital beds.

Kindergartens and schools there are closed until March 22, keeping some 5 million families at home with their children. Many senior citizens, children and housewives with kids in other parts of the country are also effectively confined to their homes.

As the paranoia over the virus remains high, the self-imposed house arrest makes people feel increasingly depressed and anxious, and mental health experts say the situation requires counseling.