Suncheon Middle School Student Confirmed with COVID-19, All Students and Staff Test Negative

Confirmed Case Suncheon No.141 (Jeonnam No.332), Complete Testing of 650 Students and Staff Conducted

Suncheon Namsan Middle School

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] In Suncheon, Jeollanam-do, a middle school student was confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and as a result of conducting mass testing at the school, all tested negative, allowing the education authorities to breathe a sigh of relief.

According to the Suncheon Office of Education on the 21st, a student at Suncheon Namsan Middle School tested positive for COVID-19 around 4 p.m. the previous day. The student, identified as Suncheon case number 141 (Jeonnam case number 332), is a family member of a confirmed Suncheon patient from Jeonnam National University Hospital and is believed to have been infected through family contact.

The quarantine authorities set up a temporary screening clinic on campus and conducted diagnostic tests on about 650 students and staff, all of whom tested negative on the afternoon of the 21st.

Additionally, students and staff at other schools in Suncheon where student COVID-19 cases occurred, such as Maean Elementary and Jeil High School, were also confirmed negative through mass testing. With no additional student cases, students and parents were able to feel somewhat relieved for the time being.

A parent from Yeonhyang-dong, Suncheon, said, "My daughter is a senior in high school, so it feels like walking on thin ice," adding, "There are close contacts at my daughter's school as well, so in-person classes for test-takers have been suspended until the college entrance exam is over. I hope this COVID nightmare ends soon," expressing their anxiety.

An official from the Jeollanam-do Office of Education stated, "Suncheon, where community transmission is severe, has proactively implemented Level 2 measures," and added, "So far, confirmed student cases have mainly involved family cluster infections, and school-level infections have not yet occurred."

They continued, "Fortunately, students and staff are adhering well to quarantine guidelines," and emphasized, "It is necessary to be cautious in daily life to prevent the entire family from being exposed to infection risks."