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South Korea to increase testing at schools over fears of teenage infection wave

03 November 2021 14:55 (UTC +04:00)

South Korea has said it would ramp up Covid-19 testing at schools after a sharp rise of infections among children, weeks ahead of a plan to fully reopen schools nationwide, APA reports citing The Guardian.

The surge comes as new social distancing rules aimed at a phased return to normal came into effect on Monday as a part of the country’s plan to gradually move toward living with Covid-19.

South Korea has fully vaccinated nearly 90% of its adult population but only began inoculating children aged between 12 and 17 in recent weeks, administering just 0.6% of the age group with both doses so far.

“There is a growing concern as the frequency of new cluster outbreaks has been increasing, centred on educational facilities such as private tuition centres and schools,” interior and safety minister Jeon Hae-cheol said, Reuters reports.

The country recorded 2,667 new cases for Tuesday, an increase of more than 1,000 from the day earlier. Nearly a quarter of the new cases were found in teenagers, officials said.

“The teenagers spend a lot of time in communal living such as schools and tuition centres 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 rise and the confirmed cases will continue to surge stemming from these teenagers.”