Daejeon and Bundang Cluster Infections Surge... School Quarantine on Alert

Highest Number of Student and Staff Infections Since March School Opening
74 Cases Linked to Daejeon Academies, Over 10 in Jeonju and Sejong
Yoo Eun-hye Dismisses Self-Test Kits as Premature

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye is speaking at an expert advisory meeting to strengthen school quarantine measures held at the Government Seoul Office on the 15th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] As cluster infections originating from schools and academies continue to surge, red flags have been raised for school quarantine measures.

According to the Ministry of Education on the 16th, from the 8th to the 14th, 395 students and 58 faculty members were confirmed positive for COVID-19. Compared to the previous week, the number of infected students increased by 60 and faculty by 8, marking the highest number of infections since the March school reopening.

After an academy instructor in Daejeon tested positive, 74 people were infected across 18 schools, and in Jeonju and Sejong, more than 10 confirmed cases occurred in a single school. In Daejeon, about 3,000 academies underwent quarantine inspections, and group diagnostic testing for workers has begun. In Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, after an elementary school teacher tested positive, a cluster infection of more than 13 people occurred at that school alone.

The Ministry of Education is conducting on-site investigations at schools where cluster infections have occurred and is reviewing revisions to related manuals. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye said at a school quarantine expert advisory meeting the day before, "We will actively review the effectiveness and potential expansion of environmental specimen testing, which was piloted since March, and Seoul National University's rapid PCR testing."

However, regarding the introduction of rapid diagnostic kits in schools proposed by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister Yoo stated, "There is significant controversy over the accuracy of the tests, and it could potentially cause confusion in school quarantine, so we must make a very cautious judgment." She added, "There has been no procedural approval for self-test kits, and it is premature to decide on their priority application in schools." The Seoul Teachers' Union also opposed the proposal, stating, "The accuracy and sensitivity are low, students who move daily between school, home, and the community would have to be tested every day, and the cost-effectiveness is low while causing significant stress to students."

Infections among students have mainly occurred through parents, teachers, and support staff, and the recent loosening of quarantine measures has increased concerns. Moreover, infection information between schools and academies is not being properly shared, amplifying community infections. Meanwhile, vaccinations for health and special education teachers resumed on the 12th, but vaccinations for third-year high school students are expected as early as June, and vaccinations for the remaining faculty members are anticipated in the third quarter.

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