"About a Month Before the CSAT" ... 60 People in Self-Quarantine at Daechi-dong Academy District 'Quarantine Emergency'

Academy Instructor Teaching at Special-Purpose High School Tests Positive for COVID-19... Conducted Classes for Five Days Despite Cold Symptoms
Some Nearby Middle and High Schools Switch to Remote Learning... Midterm Exams Postponed

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] "Students attending OO Academy, please do not come to school and go home."

At a private academy in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, an instructor was confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), causing an emergency in the local academy district. Some nearby schools switched from in-person classes to remote learning, and urgent notification text messages were sent on the way to school to stop students who might have been in contact with the confirmed case from attending school.

According to Seoul City and Gangnam-gu on the 20th, regarding the COVID-19 confirmation of math instructor A at the large private academy S Academy on the previous day (19th), Gangnam-gu Office classified 60 people, including students who took classes from the instructor and fellow instructors, as close contacts and ordered self-quarantine. Among them, 55 are students. Sequential COVID-19 diagnostic tests are being conducted for these individuals, and even if the results are negative, they are required to maintain quarantine for the time being.

Mr. A, who resides in Daechi-dong, is known to have taught students attending specialized high schools such as foreign language high schools in the nearby area, including S Academy. In the epidemiological investigation by health authorities, Mr. A showed related symptoms from the 13th but judged it as a mild cold and visited a nearby otolaryngology clinic while continuing to go to work and teach students for five days thereafter.

However, CCTV footage confirmed that Mr. A wore a mask at all times inside the academy's shared facilities and classrooms. S Academy has lecture rooms not only in the main building but also in two to three nearby buildings. Mr. A is also known to have conducted several small group tutoring sessions in addition to the academy classes.

Upon hearing the news of a confirmed case at the academy, schools attended by students who had contact with this instructor went on high alert. Jamwon-dong S Middle School sent students home immediately on the 19th, and Cheongdam-dong Y High School suspended attendance for second-year students for the day and postponed the scheduled midterm exams to the following week. A representative from S Middle School said, "We stopped students from attending school as a preemptive measure after learning that a student's sibling took classes from instructor A," adding, "Fortunately, the student tested negative and will resume normal attendance from the 21st."

D Foreign Language High School in Gwangjin-gu, where students who had contact with instructor A attend, also postponed the midterm exams scheduled for the 20th and suspended student attendance. Daechi-dong D Middle School switched to remote classes for the day.

Parents are anxious as COVID-19 cases have emerged during the ongoing college entrance early admissions and middle and high school midterm exam periods.

A parent whose child attends S Academy said, "It seems too careless that the instructor continued teaching despite having a fever and feeling unwell," expressing frustration, "Even after the news broke and parents were anxious, the academy did not send any notification messages for quite some time." Another parent of a high school senior said, "With less than a month and a half left until the college entrance exam, already anxious and exhausted students are now worried about infection," adding, "I wonder if the social distancing level 1 measures and school reopening were too early."

Meanwhile, from the previous day, the number of students attending nationwide kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools was relaxed to within two-thirds capacity, and full attendance became possible for first graders in elementary school and some regions. As of the previous day, the cumulative number of student COVID-19 cases nationwide is 641, and the cumulative number of confirmed cases among school staff is 133.