Seoul: South Korea said on Wednesday it would ramp COVID-19 test on schools After a rapid increase of infection between Children, weeks before plans to fully reopen schools across the country.
New social distancing rules aimed at a phased return to normal came into force on Monday as part of the country’s plan to gradually move towards living with Covid-19 on the back of higher vaccination rates.
South Korea has fully vaccinated about 90% of its adult population, but has only begun to vaccinate children 12 to 17 years of age in recent weeks, so far with only 0.6% of the age group with both doses. administered to.
“There is a growing concern as the frequency of outbreaks of new clusters is increasing, focused on educational facilities such as private tuition centers and schools,” Interior and Security Minister Jeon Hae-cheol said.
The government will expand the use of portable polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic tests for COVID-19 in schools in Seoul and neighboring areas, and mobilize more virus-prevention personnel in overcrowded schools, he said. .
South Korea plans to fully reopen schools across the country from November 22.
The country reported 2,667 new cases on Tuesday, an increase of more than 1,000 from the day before. About a quarter of the new cases were found in teen, officials said.
“Adolescents spend a lot of time in communal life like schools and tuition centers and they are also active in social activities,” Son Young-Rae, a senior health ministry official, told a briefing.
“We believe that the risk of infection will inevitably increase and that confirmed cases from these adolescents will continue to rise.”
South Korea has not seen a significant increase in critically ill cases among adolescents, with only one in 378 serious Covid-19 patients being treated in hospitals. South Korea also reported a relatively low mortality rate of 0.78%.
Pfizer/BioNTech, using the shots, began vaccination in October for the 12-17 age group.
New social distancing rules aimed at a phased return to normal came into force on Monday as part of the country’s plan to gradually move towards living with Covid-19 on the back of higher vaccination rates.
South Korea has fully vaccinated about 90% of its adult population, but has only begun to vaccinate children 12 to 17 years of age in recent weeks, so far with only 0.6% of the age group with both doses. administered to.
“There is a growing concern as the frequency of outbreaks of new clusters is increasing, focused on educational facilities such as private tuition centers and schools,” Interior and Security Minister Jeon Hae-cheol said.
The government will expand the use of portable polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic tests for COVID-19 in schools in Seoul and neighboring areas, and mobilize more virus-prevention personnel in overcrowded schools, he said. .
South Korea plans to fully reopen schools across the country from November 22.
The country reported 2,667 new cases on Tuesday, an increase of more than 1,000 from the day before. About a quarter of the new cases were found in teen, officials said.
“Adolescents spend a lot of time in communal life like schools and tuition centers and they are also active in social activities,” Son Young-Rae, a senior health ministry official, told a briefing.
“We believe that the risk of infection will inevitably increase and that confirmed cases from these adolescents will continue to rise.”
South Korea has not seen a significant increase in critically ill cases among adolescents, with only one in 378 serious Covid-19 patients being treated in hospitals. South Korea also reported a relatively low mortality rate of 0.78%.
Pfizer/BioNTech, using the shots, began vaccination in October for the 12-17 age group.
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