Seoul Student COVID-19 Cases Double from Last Week... "Support for Test Kits Before School Attendance"

7-13 Days Student Confirmed Cases 5,764, Increase of 3,009 from Previous Week
20% of Rapid Antigen Test Kits Secured, 5% Held by Schools
Discussion to Expand Preemptive Test Kits to Middle and High School Students Beyond Kindergarten and Elementary
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to Establish Multi-Test System for Response
Self-Test Kits, On-Site Mobile PCR, and Rapid PCR Testing Included

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Since the mid-term school reopening, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among Seoul's kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school students has more than doubled to 5,764 compared to the previous week. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has secured rapid antigen test kits and plans to provide a 7-week supply to kindergarten and elementary students, while increasing school quarantine personnel and budget support for quarantine measures.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on the 15th, from the 7th to the 13th, the number of confirmed student cases increased by 3,009 to 5,764, and confirmed staff cases increased by 336 to 568. The most common infection route was unknown (40.4%), followed by family infection (37.8%), community infection (11.6%), and in-school infection (10.2%).

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, explained, "Compared to two weeks ago, confirmed cases among students and staff increased by 3,345. Unknown infection routes and family infections account for 78.2%, influenced by the rise in cases with unknown symptom onset, asymptomatic infections, and school vacations."

The incidence rate per 10,000 students also doubled from 30.4 the previous week to an average of 63.3. By age group, high school grades 1-2 (85.8) had the highest rate, followed by elementary school (80.8) and kindergarten (51.3). As of the 3rd, A Elementary School had 15 cases, B Elementary School 14 cases, C Elementary School 13 cases, and D Middle School had 13 cases of cluster infections as of the 4th.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will establish a multi-testing system from the new semester, including the distribution of rapid antigen test kits, on-site mobile PCR testing, and rapid PCR testing. Each education support office will operate two on-site mobile PCR testing teams, and rapid PCR testing will be supported for schools with dormitories or arts and physical education departments.

Preemptive self-test kits for screening before school attendance will be provided twice a week for seven weeks to kindergarten and elementary students. Additionally, rapid antigen test kits for students and staff will be secured at 20% of the total population, with 5% allocated to schools and the remaining 15% stocked at the education office. The budget required for securing stockpiled kits at schools and the education office and distributing preemptive test kits is estimated at 1.65 billion KRW each.

Superintendent Cho said, "The Ministry of Education is currently negotiating with metropolitan and provincial education offices to expand the support target for rapid antigen test kits from originally kindergarten and elementary schools to middle and high schools, including budget-sharing ratios. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has agreed to provide rapid antigen kits in cooperation with the 25 autonomous districts of Seoul, depending on the budget-sharing ratio and COVID-19 spread trends."

The Ministry of Education is expected to announce the scope and quantity of rapid antigen test kits for preemptive screening on the 16th. The Ministry stated that it had distributed nine rapid antigen test kits each to kindergarten and elementary students until March and plans to expand distribution to middle and high school students, with the number of kits for middle and high school students and staff still under discussion.

From the new semester, school academic operation plans will follow criteria of approximately a 3% infection rate and about a 15% attendance suspension rate (confirmed and quarantined individuals). If either condition is not met, full attendance plus restrictions on (non)curricular activities will be implemented; if both conditions are exceeded, partial attendance will be allowed. In case of a rapid increase in confirmed cases, the Ministry of Education, quarantine authorities, and education offices will consult to switch to full remote classes.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated, "The transition to remote classes at the education office level will be adjusted through consultations among the Ministry of Education, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, and quarantine authorities based on infection and attendance situations and risk monitoring results."

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to expand health support services and increase the budget related to quarantine measures in line with the changing school quarantine and testing system. Emergency response teams providing quarantine-related counseling services such as school self-surveys will operate at the main office, the School Health Promotion Institute, and 11 education support offices.

Superintendent Cho said, "We will deploy a total of 8,015 quarantine personnel, ranging from 2 to 6 per school depending on the number of students, and additionally support 2,892 school meal quarantine personnel (1 to 6 per school level). We will also support health assistant instructors at schools that request them, increasing support from 248 schools to 400 more, totaling 648 schools."