Schools on edge over spread of coronavirus

By Bahk Eun-ji

Education authorities have been on high alert amid concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus and are urging certain students and teachers to refrain from attending schools.

The Ministry of Education said Tuesday that it has decided to request that faculty and students who have returned to the country after visiting Wuhan, China, stay home for a minimum of 14 days from their arrival in Korea. The request applied to students and staff of kindergartens, schools and universities.

For those affected, the ministry will designate a team in charge of each school to check whether or not those people show any suspicious symptoms.

It has also considered providing special grants to schools for funding distribution of anti-epidemic products such as masks and hand sanitizers. Schools that operate care classes during the vacation will be required to check their readiness to prevent and respond to the infectious disease. The education ministry also plans to ask schools to conduct group events such as graduations and entrance ceremonies with as few people as possible to avoid potential infections.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) also held an emergency meeting to prepare countermeasures for the possible spread of the virus in schools.

The education authorities' move comes amid escalating concerns among parents and students with classes resuming after the month-long winter vacation. Most schools are scheduled to reopen this week or next. During the weekend, more than 2,000 people signed a petition requesting the SMOE delay the reopening of schools.

The education ministry and the SMOE said putting off school reopening is not open for consideration at this point. However, the education authorities have decided to check on all students, parents and faculty staff who have visited Wuhan and Hubei Province.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare raised its infectious disease alert level one notch to “orange” from “yellow” after the fourth case of the pneumonia-like illness was confirmed Monday. Orange is the third-highest alert level in the four-tiered system and indicates the limited spread of a disease.

As of Tuesday, 4,535 cases were confirmed with a death toll of 106 in China. The disease is rapidly spreading outside mainland China to places including Hong Kong, Japan, the U.S., and France.

Common symptoms of the coronavirus include a fever, sore throat and difficulty in breathing. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that elderly people and young people who have weaker immune systems should be particularly careful.