Kindergartens and schools in the greater Seoul area will shift to online classes from Wednesday amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. 

Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae made the announcement on Tuesday in an emergency joint briefing with top education officials from Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province. 

Starting from Wednesday, students at kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools in the capital region are required to stay at home and take online classes until September 11. 

However, the emergency order does not apply to high school seniors, who need to prepare for the state-administered university exam.

The government will also allow special schools and schools with 60 or less students to decide on their own on whether to make the shift.