One Kindergarten Student Confirmed COVID-19 Positive at Art Academy in Gangseo-gu, Seoul... Nearby Kindergarten and Elementary Schools Closed

96 Tested Including Students, Art Instructor, and Parents After COVID-19 Positive Art Teacher Contact
School Attendance Suspended on 25-26th at 5 Nearby Elementary Schools and 10 Kindergartens

On the afternoon of the 25th, six-year-old kindergarten students related to an instructor confirmed positive for COVID-19 at Magok Emvely Young Rembrandt Art Academy in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, were lined up in vehicles in front of the drive-thru screening clinic at Ewha Seoul Hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] As kindergarten and first- to second-grade elementary school students prepare to return to in-person classes, one kindergarten student in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 25th that a 6-year-old kindergarten student who attended art classes with Instructor A at Magok Emvalley Young Rembrandt Art Academy in Gangseo-gu tested positive for COVID-19.

Instructor A, who was confirmed positive for COVID-19 on the previous day (24th), taught art classes to 35 students over five days from the 18th to the 22nd and had contact with three fellow instructors.

Health authorities are conducting specimen tests on 96 students, instructors, and parents who visited the art academy, and 38 close contacts of Instructor A have been placed under self-quarantine until June 7.

The education office explained that all individuals wore masks and followed quarantine principles, including ventilation and social distancing. Additionally, five nearby elementary schools and ten kindergartens attended by students classified as close contacts will suspend all students' attendance, including emergency care, for two days from the 25th to the 26th.

They are also considering continuing remote classes for the kindergarten attended by the confirmed kindergarten student after the 27th.

An elementary school in Jongno-gu, Seoul, temporarily closed on the afternoon of March 2 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. / Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, Instructor A underwent specimen testing at Yeongdeungpo Public Health Center on the 23rd and was confirmed positive the following day. He showed suspected COVID-19 symptoms such as headaches starting from the 21st and was confirmed to have worked at the art academy until 7 p.m. on the 22nd.

The art academy employs six instructors and has about 100 students, including elementary school children and kindergarteners. The academy is scheduled to be closed for the next two weeks.

Earlier, the Ministry of Education announced plans to proceed with in-person classes for second-year high school students, third-year middle school students, first- and second-grade elementary students, and kindergarteners starting on the 27th as scheduled.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye stated at a regular briefing held at the Government Seoul Office on the afternoon of the 24th, "The reopening of schools will proceed as scheduled on the 27th," adding, "In areas with high concerns about community infection, we will strongly recommend academic operations such as alternating weeks or days by grade to ensure that the number of students attending does not exceed two-thirds of the total."

However, the Ministry of Education plans to recognize attendance even if parents concerned about infection choose to keep their children at home to study remotely.

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