All Schools in Mandeok-dong, Busan, Closed for In-Person Classes Amid Surge in COVID-19 Cases

Busan Office of Education to Switch All 16 Kindergartens, Elementary, Middle, and High Schools to Remote Classes from the 5th to 8th After the Holiday

Officials from Jongno District Office in Seoul are conducting disinfection work near the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul on the afternoon of the 3rd. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] As COVID-19 infections continue to surge in the Mandeok-dong area of Buk-gu, Busan, all schools in the area will switch to remote classes after the Chuseok holiday.

This measure comes in response to the unusual situation in Mandeok-dong, including confirmed cases linked to the public bathhouse Green Core Bathhouse and small restaurants.

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 4th that, considering student safety, all schools and all grades in the Mandeok-dong area of Buk-gu, Busan, where COVID-19 cases have recently been reported consecutively, will switch to remote classes for four days from October 5 to 8.

On the afternoon of the 3rd, the Office of Education held an emergency countermeasure meeting at 6 p.m. regarding the spread of COVID-19 in the Mandeok area, and after consultations with school administrators, infectious disease experts, Busan city officials, and the Ministry of Education, this decision was made.

The schools switching to remote classes include 16 institutions across kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools. The kindergartens are Green Core Kindergarten, Mandeok Nature Kindergarten, Baeksan Kindergarten, Baekyang Kindergarten, Sarangnamu Kindergarten, and Shindeok Attached Kindergarten, totaling six. The elementary schools are Deogyang Elementary, Mandeok Elementary, Baeksan Elementary, Baekyang Elementary, Sanghak Elementary, and Shindeok Elementary, totaling six. The middle schools are Mandeok Middle, Baekyang Middle, and Shindeok Middle, totaling three. The high school is Mandeok High School.

The Office of Education plans to operate emergency care for kindergarten and elementary students for parents who have difficulty caring for their children during this period.

Additionally, the Office of Education will monitor the trend of confirmed cases in the Mandeok area and, in consultation with Busan's quarantine authorities, will consider further measures.

Prior to this, on the 1st, Busan city closed 18 small parks in Mandeok 1, 2, and 3-dong. A gathering restriction order was also issued for restaurants and cafes in the area.

As of the 4th, in Mandeok-dong, Buk-gu, following the confirmation of a COVID-19 case in a student at Baekyang Elementary School (Busan case number 415), a total of 77 people, including 73 students from various schools and 4 staff members, have been classified as subjects for self-quarantine.

In Buk-gu, Busan, since the 2nd, more than 20 confirmed cases have been reported, including two cases linked to the Green Core Bathhouse in Mandeok-dong.

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