Anchor: A second group of students ranging from kindergarteners up to high schoolers is scheduled to return to schools on Wednesday. Amid concerns over the continued spread of Itaewon club-linked COVID-19 infections, authorities carried out a final checkup of schools on their quarantine preparations.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: Health authorities in South Korea are conducting a final round of quarantine inspections on Tuesday, one day before some two-point-four million students nationwide are scheduled to return to schools.

The central disaster and safety countermeasures headquarters stressed the importance of preventing chain transmissions of COVID-19, urging the public to wear masks, wash hands and keep a distance from each other.

However, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education postponed the reopening of eleven elementary schools and kindergartens in Seoul's western Gangseo district until June, after a kindergartner in the area tested positive for COVID-19.

The city office has granted the heads of schools and kindergartens authority to consult with parents and their respective education offices on shutdowns and remote learning when a case is reported in their area.

Nighttime self-learning in schools will be prohibited until the COVID-19 situation stabilizes, and elementary schools are advised to conduct face-to-face classes at least once a week for all grades.

The education office also highly recommended against conducting midterms for first-year middle school students, citing the lack of time to prepare for the examinations.

The government, meanwhile, is expected to put forth guidelines on when and how students should wear masks and how to use air conditioning in classrooms during the summer season.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.