COVID-19 In South Korea: Schools Begin To Reopen May 13

Photo illustration (Pocky Lee / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The decline in the number of COVID-19 transmission in South Korea has made policy owners start to take the option of loosening the tight campaign to keep distance or physical distancing. As a result, the government began to gradually reopen schools on May 13.

The policy was announced directly by the South Korean Government on Monday, May 5. Therefore, the school, which previously only relied on online learning, is now preparing to welcome students back to study in class.

According to Reuters, before opening schools, the South Korean Ministry of Education had conducted a survey to find out whether or not the school opening was necessary. As a result, the majority of parents and teachers supported the idea.

"We are currently preparing to open schools while managing the daily risk of this disease," South Korean Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae said at a press conference broadcast on local television.

"If a student is found to be infected with the virus, health authorities will take the necessary action and schools will switch back to online classes," he added.

As a result, Senior High School (SMA) students who are currently preparing for college entrance exams will be allowed to return to attend classes at the school starting May 13. Meanwhile, younger students will continue school gradually between May 20 and June 1.

As a precautionary measure, the school will still be asked to carry out sterilization by disinfection. Not only that, the school also conducts regular temperature checks and rearranges the position of student seats. The rest, the school urges students and teachers to keep using masks, clean their desks, and apply physical distancing rules.

Even so, Director of The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), Jeong Eun-kyeong still believes that there is an opportunity for transmission of COVID-19 after schools are opened. "We don't believe that there is a high chance of a mass outbreak once schools reopen, but we can't rule it out."

Before announcing the opening of schools, a day earlier the government allowed several public facilities such as museums and libraries to be reopened gradually as a step towards easing policies starting May 6.

So far South Korea has confirmed 10,801 cases of COVID-19 transmission. Among them, there were 252 cases died.