정부, 오늘 학교 2차 등교 맞춰 '마스크, 에어컨 세부 지침' 발표
South Korean quarantine authorities are set to announce more detailed guidelines on the wearing of face masks and use of air conditioners at schools on Wednesday,... as some 2-point-4 million students nationwide are heading back to the classrooms for the first time in months.
Kim Hyo-sun reports.
With the temperature climbing in South Korea,... mask wearing is not easy despite the fact that quarantine authorities have stressed multiple times that it's one of the most effective means to curb the spread of COVID-19.
This is especially the case with younger students.
The use of air conditioners is also an issue as the weather heats up.
As running air conditioning in enclosed classrooms could increase the risk of droplet infection,... the education ministry is suggesting schools keep all windows at least one-third open at all times when using air conditioning systems.
However, the country's quarantine authorities have not yet disclosed detailed guidelines for the use of facemasks and air conditioners at schools.
They say the guidelines will be rolled out on Wednesday.
"As we near summer, there are many voices calling for more detailed guidelines on the use of air conditioning and facemasks. We are currently discussing the matter with quarantine authorities."
To prepare schools for the second phase of school resumption on Wednesday,... quarantine authorities stress that students and teachers need to check their health condition each morning and stay home if they feel sick.
They are also asked to avoid visiting multi-use facilities including singing rooms and PC cafes.
To lower the risk of infection,... the education ministry has advised schools to limit their capacity to two-thirds.
This means the students will go to school only on designated days of the week,... with elementary schools being required to open at least one day a week.
However, for some schools, back-to-school has been postponed once again.
Seoul's Gangseo-gu District announced it was postponing school by another week,... after a six-year-old kindergartener tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
Over 450 schools and kindergartens in Seoul, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province and Bucheon also announced similar measures following confirmed cases in their districts.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.
