First COVID-19 Case Confirmed Among Jeonnam Students, Education Authorities on Alert

Jang Seok-woong, Superintendent of Education, "Will Cooperate with Local Governments to Completely Block Infection Sources"

Jang Seok-woong, Superintendent of Education for Jeonnam, is holding an emergency briefing on the first confirmed COVID-19 case among Jeonnam students on the 28th. Photo by Jeonnam Office of Education

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] A middle school student in Mokpo, Jeonnam, tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the education authorities to go on high alert.

According to the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education on the 28th, A, a first-year student at Mokpo Hadang Middle School, was confirmed as the 23rd COVID-19 case in Jeonnam. The school has set up a temporary screening clinic and started comprehensive testing for infectious diseases on 255 people, including all first-year students and staff. They plan to expand testing to the second and third-year students depending on the situation.

Superintendent Jang Seok-woong held an emergency briefing at around 11:40 a.m. that day, stating, “Mokpo Hadang Middle School, where the confirmed case was found, will suspend in-person classes and switch to remote learning until the 3rd of next month. The 18 nearby schools will conduct remote classes from the 29th until the 1st of next month, and depending on the situation, the period may be extended.”

A, who was asymptomatic when diagnosed, is presumed to have been infected by his grandmother who visited Gwangju on the 23rd. He and his grandfather, who also tested positive, are currently receiving treatment at Gangjin Medical Center.

The Provincial Office of Education focused on the fact that the confirmed student was active at a local children's center (Educational Cultural Community) and an indoor sports facility (Boxing Master) from the 25th to the 26th, and took necessary measures.

In particular, the lists of 35 people related to the local children's center (from 8 schools) and 13 people related to the indoor sports facility (from 5 schools), who were identified as having contact with the student, were notified to each school, and they were instructed to get tested and self-quarantine.

A representative of the middle school said, “From the 25th to the 26th, all first-year students conducted remote classes, so there was no contact with upper-grade students within the school. We plan to conduct comprehensive testing on all students and staff to completely block the spread of COVID-19.”

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