SEOUL: South Korea said on Wednesday it would ramp up COVID-19 testing at schools after a sharp rise of infections among children, weeks ahead of a plan to fully reopen schools nationwide.
The surge comes as new social distancing rules aimed at a phased return to normal came into effect on Monday as a part of the country’s plan to gradually move toward living with COVID-19 on the back of high vaccination rates.
South Korea has fully vaccinated nearly 90 percent of its adult population but only began inoculating children aged between 12 and 17 in recent weeks, administering just 0.6 percent of the age group with both doses so far.
“There is a growing concern as the frequency of new cluster outbreaks has been increasing, centered on educational facilities such as private tuition centers and schools,” Interior and Safety Minister Jeon Hae-cheol said.
The government would expand the use of portable polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic tests for COVID-19 in schools in Seoul and neighboring regions, and mobilize more virus-prevention personnel in overcrowded schools, he said.
South Korea plans to fully reopen schools nationwide from Nov. 22.
The country reported 2,667 new cases for Tuesday, an increase of more than 1,000 from the day earlier. Nearly one fourth of the new cases were found in teenagers, officials said.
“The teenagers spend a lot of time in communal living such as schools and tuition centers and they are also active in social activities,” Son Young-rae, a senior health ministry official, told a briefing.
“We believe that the risk of infection will inevitably rise and the confirmed cases will continue to surge stemming from these teenagers.”
South Korea has not seen a noticeable increase in seriously ill cases among teens, with just one out of 378 severe COVID-19 patients being treated in hospitals. South Korea has also reported a relatively low mortality rate of 0.78 percent.
Vaccination for the 12-17 age group began in October, using Pfizer/BioNTech, shots.
South Korean teens drive up COVID-19 cases ahead of full school reopening
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South Korean teens drive up COVID-19 cases ahead of full school reopening
- South Korea has fully vaccinated nearly 90 percent of its adult population but only began inoculating children aged between 12 and 17 in recent weeks
Kyiv ready for talks ‘next week’ with US over Russia proposals: Zelensky
- “Ukraine is ready to work in all working formats,” said Zelensky.
- “It is important that there are results and that the meetings take place“
KYIV: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday his negotiators were waiting to hear from the United States on further meetings about ending the war with Russia.
Zelensky’s remarks in his evening address appeared to suggest that a second round of talks scheduled to start in Abu Dhabi on Sunday between US, Russian and Ukrainian officials on ending the fighting had been postponed.
“Ukraine is ready to work in all working formats,” said Zelensky.
“It is important that there are results and that the meetings take place. We are counting on meetings next week and are preparing for them.”
Zelensky was speaking as US envoy Steve Witkoff said he had had “productive and constructive” talks with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Florida on Saturday.
Teams from Ukraine and Russia met Friday and Saturday last week in Abu Dhabi in their first in-person negotiations on a plan being pushed by President Donald Trump to end the war.
They had agreed to resume talks there on Sunday.
On Thursday however, Zelensky suggested that the date and venue could change given the current tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The US says both sides are close to a deal, but they have so far been unable to find a compromise on the key issue of territory in a post-war settlement, according to Kyiv.
