How South Korea is gearing up to reopen schools amid COVID-19 pandemic
  • 4 years ago
칸막이 급식실, 짝꿍없는 책상...80일만의 등교 위한 학교 방역, 어떻게?

From fever checks to extra distance between classmates, one school in the city of Daegu shows us how to return to school in the COVID-19 era.
Our Choi Jeong-yoon is there.
Daegu was once the hardest hit city in the country... with over 200 school staff and students infected with COVID-19. The city has come up with strict disease prevention measures to successively manage the reopening of schools.
"Keeping distance is the most important thing. There won't be a single day that the entire school will be in the same place at the same time. Arrival times and break times will differ."
Students will have their temperatures taken regularly: once at the front gate, with a thermal sensor in the hall, and by their teachers in the class.
Students don't sit next to each other in the classroom. Instead desks are arranged in an examination row... keeping at least a meter between each desk to avoid close contact.
"During class, students and teachers must all wear masks. I will refrain from teaching at close distance."
Teachers will have to disinfect door knobs regularly to prevent any possibly infected student from spreading the virus. The class will be kept at a low temperature,... with educators constantly ventilating the area. Hand sanitizers, masks, gloves and a thermometer will be kept in the corner of the classroom.
"Students must also keep their distance during lunch time. In order to minimize contact and prevent infections, schools have installed transparent partitions on the dining hall tables."
They will sit on one side, facing the same direction, or in a zig-zag leaving the front and side empty. To avoid infection through droplets,... sharing water is prohibited and each student must bring their own separate spoon and chopsticks.
"Students with a temperature over 37-point-5 degrees Celsius, a sore throat or a cough must go home. Additional symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and loss of taste or smell have been included."
Students who have symptoms have to wait for guardians at the temporary observation room.
Those who've been previously confirmed to have the virus will have to get tested again before coming to school. Choi Jeong-yoon, Arirang News, Daegu.
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