A total of 1,166 elementary, junior high and high school students were confirmed infected with the novel coronavirus in the three months from June 1, when schools fully reopened, but no serious cases were reported, the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry announced Thursday.
According to the ministry, more than half were infected at home and only 15% were infected at schools. Of the total, 428 students were from elementary schools, 266 from junior high schools, 463 from high schools and 9 from special needs schools. As of the end of July, the number was 242, meaning 924 cases were logged in August alone.
Regarding routes of infection, 655 students, or 56%, were infected at home, although for elementary school students the rate was 75%. Those infected at schools accounted for 15%, or 180 cases, but for high school students this was 33%. "The rate of infection among children is low considering the overall numbers. There seems to be many cases of transmission from parents to children," a ministry official said.
The ministry updated its infectious disease control manual the same day, saying the infection had been controlled to a certain extent.
The updated manual advises that physical distance of about 1 meter should be maintained in classrooms, depending on the status of infections, while it was previously "about 2 meters as much as possible." This enables schools to accommodate 40 students in one classroom instead of setting separate dates or times for students to come to school, even in areas where the virus is spreading. One point added to the manual was that the distance should be maintained when students are engaged in activities with face shields but no masks.
The manual also stated that the increase in the number of infections partly came from mass infections of high school students living in dormitories. Taking that into consideration, it also includes measures such as preventing the infected students from taking part in club activities but having them stay in their own rooms for a further two days after symptoms disappear. The ministry also instructed boards of education and universities nationwide to take those measures against clusters.
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