Concerns Over the Spread of 'New Coronavirus'... 484 Kindergartens, Elementary, Middle, and High Schools Nationwide Postpone Opening or Close Temporarily

Suwon, Bucheon, and Others Under Education Authorities' Closure Orders... Total 21 Students and Staff in Self-Quarantine

On the 3rd, amid growing concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, students at Bongeun Elementary School in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, are attending school wearing masks. Photo by Mun Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] A total of 484 kindergartens and schools nationwide have postponed the start of the semester or closed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia).

As of 9 a.m. on the 3rd, the Ministry of Education announced that 393 kindergartens, 53 elementary schools, 21 middle schools, 16 high schools, and 1 special school had either postponed the semester originally scheduled for that day or decided to close entirely.

By region, there are 337 schools in Suwon, Bucheon, and Goyang cities in Gyeonggi Province, 138 schools in Gunsan city, Jeonbuk Province, and 9 schools in Seoul. These areas are where confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported or where infected individuals have passed through.

The education authorities have issued closure orders to schools in Suwon and Bucheon and recommended closures to schools in Goyang.

There are a total of 21 students and staff members currently under self-quarantine after returning from Hubei Province, China, within the last 14 days. This number includes 4 individuals isolated by health authorities in facilities: 2 children of confirmed patients, 1 person who rode the same bus as a confirmed patient, and 1 symptomatic person who had visited Yantai city in China.

Among those in self-quarantine, 11 are students?8 elementary school students and 3 high school students?and 10 are staff members.

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