[WORD_ON_THE_WEB] 'More than half the class is absent because of Covid-19'

From March 14, students and school workers are allowed to go to school even if somebody they live with has been infected with Covid-19.

Whether they are vaccinated or not, the person is then subjected to passive surveillance for the next ten days. Being put on passive surveillance means that they will be allowed to continue with their daily lives, but if they notice any symptoms, they are advised to get tested voluntarily.

If a student is on passive surveillance, they are advised to get a PCR test within three days and a rapid antigen test within a week.

The Korea Federation of Teachers’ Association has officially expressed concerns and asked the government to delay applying the passive surveillance system to unvaccinated students. The association stressed that allowing students who are more likely to be infected to go to school could worsen the situation, as it will hinder school management.

#anxious_parents
“This makes no sense. All five of my family members were infected. It was lucky the children didn’t go to school, if they did, all of their friends would have also got Covid-19.”
“My youngest gets ill easily and we’re anxious about her getting infected because of her brother going to school.”

#lunch_hour_perils
“Kids will have lunch at school, what’s the face mask going to do then? More than half the class is already absent because of Covid-19, it’s only a matter of time before everyone gets infected.”
“I’m worried about lunch. Students will take off their masks and eat together in the cafeteria.”

#test_kit_inconvenience
“If the restrictions are going to be lifted anyway, the government should at least distribute self-test kits for free. My young one had to take a PCR test five times last week because of the multiple Covid-19 cases at school.”
“The self-test kits sold at pharmacies can’t be trusted anymore.”

BY LEE SI-YEOUNG, YOO JI-WOO [yoo.jiwoo@joongang.co.kr]