Parents concerned about schools reopening

People wait for COVID-19 testing at a screening center in a public health center in Yongsan, Sunday, amid growing fears of a cluster infection after a man in his 20s who went to clubs in Itaewon was confirmed to be infected last week. /Yonhap

By Bahk Eun-ji

Many parents are expressing concerns over the government's move to reopen schools starting this week, as a hike in the number of COVID-19 patients linked to an Itaewon club-goer has put health authorities on edge again.

Education authorities announced plans to reopen schools this week as the spread of the highly contagious virus had been showing signs of abating. More than two months after schools were physically closed, high school seniors will return to school on May 13 under the plan, while younger students will resume school in stages between May 20 and June 1.

However, many parents became concerned about the government's plan and wonder if the education ministry is sufficiently prepared for possible mass infections in classrooms.

A 33-year-old homemaker living in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, surnamed Kang, said her priority is her seven-year-old son's health among any other things.

“My son has already missed opportunities to see his teacher and friends in person, but staying healthy is more important than making friends,” Kang said.

She also said the government should think twice about reopening the schools because young children like Kang's son can be more vulnerable to the virus.

Yeo Chul-hyung, 38, an office worker and father of a nine-year-old daughter and six-year-old son, said he can't just send his children to school and kindergarten, considering the increasing number of cases linked to nightclubs in Seoul.

“There are 28 children in my daughter's classroom. Imagine if just one student tested positive for the virus, then all 27 children and their 54 parents should be quarantined. If they have brothers and sisters in middle or high schools, the number of people under quarantine measures will skyrocket. Can the government handle that scenario? Well, I seriously doubt it,” Yeo said.

Health authorities however, said it is premature to decide whether to postpone the school reopenings at this stage.

“It is too early to discuss the rescheduling of schools reopening as the epidemiological investigation about the latest cluster infections is in an early stage. We have been closely monitoring the spread of the virus at this moment,” Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said in a regular press briefing at the government complex in Sejong.

Along with revealing the results of the investigation, Kim said quarantine authorities, the Ministry of Education and local authorities will discuss the school reopening plan.