Masked against coronavirus, South Korean students return to school

STR / YONHAP / AFP

Students in South Korea returned to school for the first time this year, after the government eased lockdown restrictions in the country.

Teachers with thermometers and sanitisers welcomed high schoolers in masks on Wednesday, as bikers drove back and forth spraying disinfectants around the campus.

Students and teachers have been instructed to maintain social distancing, wipe down their desks and wear masks at all times, except during meal times.

Schools will reopen in stages between May 20 and June 1 for all 5.5 million elementary and middle school students.

It comes as the country recorded a sharp decrease in coronavirus cases since a peak in February.

So far, the national tally stands at 11,110 positive cases and 263 deaths. 

 

More from International news

  • Israeli attacks on Gaza killed 60 people in 24 hours

    Israeli occupation forces committed multiple massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, resulting in the killing of at least 60 Palestinians and the injury of 162 others, according to medical reports.

  • Trump fires National Security Agency director

    U.S. President Donald Trump fired General Timothy Haugh as director of the National Security Agency on Thursday, according to two officials familiar with the decision, and congressional Democrats denounced the removal of the nonpartisan official from a top security post.

  • Israel steps up Syria strikes, says Turkey aims for 'protectorate'

    Israel stepped up airstrikes on Syria, declaring the attacks a warning to the new rulers in Damascus as it accused their ally Turkey of trying to turn the country into a Turkish protectorate.

  • US sending Israel 20,000 assault rifles that Biden delayed

    The Trump administration moved forward with the sale of more than 20,000 US-made assault rifles to Israel last month, according to a document seen by Reuters, pushing ahead with a sale that the administration of former president Joe Biden had delayed.

News

  • UAE shines in global competitiveness rankings for 2025

    The UAE has maintained its rising performance in the global competitiveness race during the first quarter of 2025 by achieving advanced positions in many relevant international and regional indicators and reports.

  • UAE President marks Senegal independence day

    President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message of congratulations to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal on the occasion of his country's Independence Day.

  • UAE expands cancer prevention plan

    The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing the incidence of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases through a proactive national strategy.