[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] In preparation for the resurgence of COVID-19, the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education is significantly expanding the operation of separate test centers for confirmed college entrance exam candidates.
The total number of test takers registered with the Ulsan Office of Education, including both current students and graduates, is 10,365. There are 26 general test centers, 1 separate test center, 1 hospital test center (general), and 1 hospital test center (COVID-19) established and operated.
Ulsan Technical High School has also been designated as a separate test center for the increasing number of home-isolated confirmed cases and quarantined individuals. Hospitalized confirmed patients who must take the exam in the hospital can take the exam at the base hospital, Ulsan University Hospital.
This year, as confirmed students receiving home treatment will take the exam at separate test centers, the number of examinees at separate test centers is expected to increase significantly.
As of today, the Office of Education has identified 24 confirmed examinees accumulated over the past week.
According to the Ministry of Education, if up to 150,000 confirmed cases occur nationwide on the day of the exam, up to 248 confirmed examinees are expected in the Ulsan area.
In preparation for this situation, the Ulsan Office of Education has decided to expand the capacity of separate test centers from 9 rooms to 16 rooms.
On the exam day, home-isolated confirmed and quarantined individuals must use private vehicles to move to the separate test centers, but in unavoidable cases, they can receive ambulance support from the local health center.
Since the 3rd of this month, the Office of Education has been operating a voluntary COVID-19 prevention period for the exam and has activated a management system focusing on confirmed cases, strengthening quarantine management for facilities such as academies, study cafes, game establishments, karaoke rooms, and movie theaters.
Also, this year, to prevent the spread of infectious diseases among examinees and to prepare for the operation of the exam centers, remote classes have been mandated from the 14th, three days before the exam, for all high schools and test center schools. During this period, test center schools will carry out test center setup and pre-disinfection quarantine measures.
General test centers will have a single entrance, and examinees will be screened for symptoms using thermal cameras and thermometers.
Examinees must prepare their admission ticket, ID, mask, personal lunchbox, and personal drinking water and enter the designated exam room between 6:30 AM and 8:10 AM on the exam day.
Masks must be worn in the exam room at all times. In general exam rooms, KF94, KF80, KF-AD, and surgical masks are recommended. Mesh masks or valve-type masks are not allowed.
The Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education will provide five quarantine masks each to all examinees and supervisors.
An official from the Ulsan Office of Education stated, “If an examinee receives a notification of confirmation or quarantine from health authorities, they must immediately report to the Secondary Education Division of the Ulsan Office of Education to receive support for taking the exam, including assignment to separate or hospital test centers.”
They added, “We are doing our best to establish and operate test centers so that all examinees can take the exam in a safe environment. We ask examinees, their families, faculty, and all citizens to strictly follow quarantine guidelines and work together for a stable administration of the exam.”
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