Education Superintendent Lee Jae-jung: "No Consideration Yet for Postponing School Opening"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-jung, Superintendent of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, stated regarding the confirmed case of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in an elementary school student in Suwon, "At this point, it is not a stage to consider postponing the start of the school semester."

At a press conference held on the 19th at the Southern Office of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education in Jangan-gu, Suwon, Superintendent Lee said, "Since this is the first case of infection in the youngest student, it is considered a very important matter, but it is a confirmed case that occurred within the quarantine network," and explained, "This student has been under self-quarantine and has not attended school, so I do not think the infection has spread to other places because of this student."

The elementary school student, the first minor confirmed case in the country, is the nephew of the 15th confirmed patient (43, male, Korean) and the daughter of the 20th confirmed patient (42, female, Korean).

The school the confirmed elementary student attended has been on vacation since the closing ceremony on the 3rd of last month, and all after-school care and after-school programs have been suspended since the student began self-quarantine.

Superintendent Lee also added, "If the spread and continuation of COVID-19 affect the start of the semester, each school will minimize discretionary holidays or adjust vacation days to secure the number of school days."

He also promised, "We will install hand sanitizers in general classrooms and provide masks to students in need using 6.3 billion KRW from the Ministry of Education’s special grant and 2 billion KRW from our own contingency funds."

Superintendent Lee emphasized, "We will conduct COVID-19 project learning within the curriculum to encourage students to create their own infectious disease response manuals and establish and practice healthy living rules," and added, "While I think excessive overreaction is problematic, the Provincial Office of Education will take proactive measures."