Seoul: South Korea said on Wednesday will increase Covid-19 testing in schools after the emergence of sharp infections among children, weeks developed a plan to completely reopen the school.
The surge came when the new social distance rules aimed at returning phase normal began to apply on Monday as part of the state plan to gradually move towards life with Covid-19 behind a high vaccination rate.
South Korea has entirely vaccinated almost 90% of the population of adults but only began to investigate children between 12 and 17 years, giving only 0.6% of the age group with both doses so far.
“There is a growing concern because the frequency of new cluster outbreaks has increased, centered on educational facilities such as private and school school money centers,” Jeon Hae-Cheol’s interior and safety minister said.
The government will expand the use of a portable polymerase chain diagnostic test (PCR) for Covid-19 in schools in Seoul and neighboring areas, and mobilize more virus prevention personnel in crowded schools, he said.
South Korea plans to completely reopen schools from November 22.
The country reported 2,667 new cases for Tuesday, increasing more than 1,000 days earlier.
Nearly a quarter of new cases found in adolescents, officials said.
“Teens spend a lot of time staying in with schools and tuition fees and they are also active in social activities,” Young-Rae’s son, a senior health ministry official, said briefing.
“We believe that the risk of infection will definitely increase and confirmed cases will continue to surge from this teenager.” South Korea has not seen a real increase in poor cases seriously among adolescents, with only one of 378 severe Covid patients treated in hospitals.
South Korea also reported a relatively low mortality rate of 0.78%.
Vaccination for the age group 12-17 began in October, using pfizer / bionech, shot.