Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education Raises Coronavirus Alert to 'Warning' Level

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Jang Hwi-guk) announced on the 28th that it has raised the alert level for the novel coronavirus from the current 'Caution' to 'Warning.'

This decision comes as the novel coronavirus infection originating in China rapidly spreads to several countries, and a fourth confirmed case was newly reported in South Korea on the 27th.

Since the afternoon of the previous day, related departments have entered an emergency work system, and a video conference with deputy superintendents of education from cities and provinces nationwide was held that morning.

Additionally, under the chairmanship of Superintendent Jang Hwi-guk, an emergency countermeasure meeting was held with related departments, and management measures such as elevating the head of the infectious disease crisis response task force to the deputy superintendent level were prepared.

In particular, all schools were instructed to suspend attendance for children, students, and staff who have visited Hubei Province, China within the last 14 days (since January 13), even if asymptomatic, for 14 days after entry.

The novel coronavirus has an incubation period of 1 to 14 days. Infection can occur during the incubation period, and symptoms such as nasal congestion, headache, cough, sore throat, and fever may appear.

The Office of Education has requested all schools to strengthen hygiene education such as handwashing for students and staff, manage quarantine supplies including masks, and implement emergency support measures for schools.

For schools and kindergartens opening on this day, they have been instructed to check for any travel to China during the vacation period and to take measures and provide guidance to consult with quarantine authorities if abnormalities are found.

Park Ik-su, Director of the Physical Education and Arts Convergence Education Division at the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, said, “To prevent the novel coronavirus, it is essential to thoroughly wash hands, cover your sleeve when coughing, wear a mask when visiting medical institutions if you have respiratory symptoms such as coughing, and actively inform medical staff of any overseas travel history.” He added, “If infection is suspected, please contact the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call center at 1399 for immediate consultation.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.