Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo has vowed to beef up the nation's emergency response system in preparation for further school openings.

During a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on Saturday, Park said that through a system of cooperation between central and local governments, education bureaus, the fire department and other related agencies, suspected patients will be transported immediately and tested for COVID-19 to stem any infection links among schools and local communities.

He said that high school seniors, who were the first to resume offline classes this past Wednesday, won't have found it easy to keep a distance with friends and wear a face mask.

The minister thanked students and parents for abiding by quarantine rules and teachers, faculty members and civil servants for guiding the efforts.

Some lower grade students will also begin classes this coming Wednesday.