In this photo, taken on June 11, 2020, health workers disinfect a classroom at an elementary school in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — A resurgence of the coronavirus around the country forced hundreds of schools to shut down on Monday, with the largest number of school closures since reopening in June.
A total of 1,845 schools halted in-person classes, the Ministry of Education said, more than double the previous record of 849 from Friday, as virus infections tied to church clusters and anti-government rallies, as well as unknown transmission, are spreading nationwide.
Some schools shut down as a preemptive measure.
Since schools started to reopen on May 20, 283 students and 70 faculty members and teachers have tested positive for the virus. Over the weekend, 70 and 22, respectively, have been added to the tallies.
In Seoul, the northern ward of Seongbuk, where the new COVID-19 hotbed Sarang Jeil Church is located, was the hardest hit, with 88 schools affected, and the nearby ward of Gangbuk saw 47 schools shut down.
As of Sunday noon, 841 coronavirus infections had been tied to the church.
According to the latest available data from the ministry, 1,040 students have been quarantined by health authorities, while 7,854 have been ordered to stay at home after reporting symptoms similar to those of COVID-19.
Another 826 have been sent home from school after showing symptoms.
As of midnight Sunday, 243,104 tests have been conducted for students and 26,271 for educators and faculty members.
The country reported 266 new cases Monday, including 258 local infections, taking the total caseload to 17,665, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The number of daily infections has been in triple digits since Aug. 14 when 103 additional cases were reported.
On Saturday, all of the country’s 17 major cities and provinces reported COVID-19 cases, a grim sign that the country might have entered a national epidemic.
During the ministry’s response meeting Monday, Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae sounded the alarm over the speed of COVID-19 transmission around the country.
“This week proves to be really crucial, as most schools are set to reopen after summer vacation,” the minister said, adding that the ministry will act on any safety issue in a “swift and preemptive” manner and prepare for a situation where the government institutes the strictest social distancing rules.
On Saturday, the government expanded the Level Two guidelines of the three-tier system around the country amid soaring infections. Previously, it had been imposed in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province.
(Yonhap)
