Jeonbuk Province Recommends Temporary Closure of Daycare Centers in the Region

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Jeonbuk Province announced on the 24th that, as COVID-19 confirmed cases are rapidly increasing and spreading nationwide, and with a case of a 16-month-old infant infected with COVID-19 reported in Gyeonggi Province, it has recommended that 1,283 daycare centers in the province temporarily close according to the local conditions of each city and county to block COVID-19 infections.

This recommendation follows the government’s elevation of the infectious disease crisis to the highest level on the 23rd, allowing each city and county to decide on temporary closures independently, considering the scale of confirmed cases and contacts in their respective areas.

In response to COVID-19, 682 daycare centers in Jeonju, Gimje, Wanju, and other areas with many confirmed cases and contacts among the 1,283 centers in the province have already decided to close until the 29th.

To minimize inconvenience caused by this closure, the province has assigned and operated duty teachers to provide emergency childcare within daycare centers for dual-income families, and has relaxed standards for childcare fees and labor cost support to reduce the operational burden on daycare centers.

Additionally, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, essential supplies such as masks and thermometers have been stocked in daycare centers, and strict compliance with hygiene rules such as handwashing and use of hand sanitizers has been ordered. Daycare centers have been guided to disinfect teaching materials, thermometers, chairs, and other items daily to maintain a safer environment against infectious diseases. Frequently touched surfaces such as entrance and restroom door handles and stair railings are also disinfected regularly.

A Jeonbuk Province official stated, “We will monitor the childcare status during the COVID-19 closure, maintain communication with children and guardians, and prioritize budget support for purchasing masks and hand sanitizers for daycare centers to do our best in preventing and controlling infectious diseases among infants and young children.”

He added, “We will thoroughly manage infection prevention by temporarily excluding from work and suspending attendance those workers and children who have traveled to China or countries with community spread of COVID-19, or who visited the Shincheonji Daegu Church in February or had contact with visitors.”

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