Daejeon COVID-19 'n-th Infection' Spread... Schools Left Open Are Uneasy

The spread of COVID-19 is accelerating through a multi-level marketing sales office in Daejeon. However, on-site attendance at local schools continues, increasing parents' anxiety. The photo shows a notice sent to parents by A Elementary School. The school recently closed for three days after being informed that two students had contact with confirmed cases, but according to the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education's guidelines, classes will resume from the 22nd. Source: Screenshot from A Elementary School's website post

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] “As a parent who takes my child to school during the start of the school day, my steps feel heavy. It is natural to hope that nothing bad happens, but I can’t help but question, ‘Is it really necessary to attend school at this time?’” Park Mo (53), a parent raising a third-grade elementary school child in Daejeon, smiled bitterly.

Concerns about ‘n-th generation infections’ linked to multi-level marketing (MLM) sales establishments in the Daejeon area are growing. Seeing the number of confirmed cases increase every morning, the anxiety within the local community is also rising. However, on-site attendance at local schools continues, which fuels unease among parents.

◆ Increasing COVID-19 confirmed cases... Continued spread of ‘n-th generation infections’ = According to Daejeon City on the 22nd, as of 10 a.m. that day, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the region was 84, of which 38 were confirmed positive between the 15th and 22nd of the month.

The newly added confirmed cases during this period are mainly presumed by health authorities to have been infected through a chain linked to a multi-level marketing sales business located in Orange Town, Goejeong-dong, Seo-gu.

In particular, the infection route, which initially spread mainly among those related to the MLM sales business and their acquaintances, has expanded to so-called ‘n-th generation infections,’ where secondary and tertiary infections occur consecutively among people who had simple contact with confirmed cases at multi-use facilities such as Dunsan Electronics Town in Tanbang-dong, Seo-gu; Wellbeing Sauna in Sajung-dong, Jung-gu; and Gyeongha Hot Spring Sauna in Bongmyeong-dong, Yuseong-gu.

In response to this situation, the city recently held an emergency meeting where Mayor Heo Tae-jeong of Daejeon, the Superintendent of Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education, the Chief of Daejeon Police Agency, the heads of five district offices, the director of Chungnam National University Hospital, and an infectious disease advisor gathered to discuss COVID-19 countermeasures. At this meeting, related organizations agreed to jointly crack down on unregistered and unreported MLM businesses through cooperation among city, district, and police authorities and to impose penalties. They also agreed to implement high-intensity social distancing measures for the next two weeks.

◆ Despite the increase in confirmed cases, student attendance ‘continues’ = Despite strengthened measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, on-site attendance at frontline schools is expected to continue for the time being. The Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education expressed reluctance to suspend in-person classes due to concerns such as the burden of postponing the academic schedule and decided to maintain current academic operations.

Earlier, Elementary School A confirmed on the 16th that two students had contact with confirmed cases (#47?48, confirmed on the 15th) and notified them for quarantine, sending all students home. However, Elementary School B resumed student attendance from the 22nd, considering that students who had contact with confirmed cases tested negative for COVID-19 and are under two weeks of self-quarantine, that disinfection was conducted within the school, and especially that the Metropolitan Office of Education had set on-site attendance as the principle.

Also, at Middle School B, on the 19th, when the mother of a third-grade student was confirmed positive (#65), all third-grade students were sent home that morning, but second-grade students attended morning classes as scheduled and were sent home around 2 p.m. On that day, first-grade students at the school were receiving remote classes from home.

These measures at various schools are interpreted as following the guidelines of the Metropolitan Office of Education. In fact, the office’s stance is that it cannot take a full non-attendance measure without confirmed student cases. This was reconfirmed at the emergency meeting between Mayor Heo Tae-jeong and heads of related organizations. The city proposed that the Metropolitan Office of Education proactively decide on school closures considering the spread of COVID-19, but the office rejected the proposal citing the need to meet the legally mandated number of school days. However, the office left room to fully suspend student attendance at any time should an unexpected variable (such as a confirmed student case) occur.

This has caused discomfort among local parents. Ms. Park said, “It is difficult for parents to say first that children should not attend school,” adding, “So I am watching the school and the Metropolitan Office of Education’s attendance policy, but that does not mean I am free from worry and anxiety.”

Another parent, Ms. Jeong (44, female, with a child in 6th grade elementary school), said, “The Metropolitan Office of Education’s statement, ‘For now, maintain the current status (attendance), and suspend attendance if confirmed cases appear,’ is somewhat like a post-mortem prescription. Saying that a student has tested positive means COVID-19 may have already spread around, so how are parents supposed to accept the office’s stance of isolating children only after confirmation?”

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