The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    US urged to respect Korea's position amid US-China chip war

  • 3

    Korean culture as the solution

  • 5

    Calls grow for regulations on AI technology on webcomics

  • 7

    ChatGPT: boon or bane for banking industry?

  • 9

    China, Korea agree to strengthen talks on chip industry: Chinese commerce ministry

  • 11

    CJ, Shinsegae study temple food to expand vegan lineup

  • 13

    Synth pop regains popularity with K-stars, riding retro boom

  • 15

    Biden says debt default deal 'very close' while deadline now set at June 5

  • 17

    1 in 6 N. Korean children under 5 suffer from stunted growth: report

  • 19

    Russia's Lavrov tells China envoy 'serious obstacles' to Ukraine peace

  • 2

    Stray Kids, NCT's Taeyong, ATEEZ gear up for June releases

  • 4

    Chinese carmakers challenge Hyundai Motor, Kia in global markets

  • 6

    Temples celebrate Buddha's birthday

  • 8

    Korea walks fine line between US, China in chip war

  • 10

    Jeju-based shamanism researcher documents connection between humans, crows

  • 12

    Man arrested for opening airplane emergency exit during flight

  • 14

    Mexico president eyes deals with China, Korea to combat fentanyl

  • 16

    Africa Day celebrated in Korea with book talk

  • 18

    Arrest warrant issued for man who opened plane door mid-air

  • 20

    Tech leads more gains on Wall Street

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Mon, May 29, 2023 | 20:23
Health & Science
Childcare centers, academies returning to pre-pandemic normality
Posted : 2023-03-21 15:38
Updated : 2023-03-22 14:46
Jun Ji-hye
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Children without masks play at a childcare center in Gwangju, Jan. 30, as the government lifted most mandatory indoor mask-wearing rules. Yonhap
Children without masks play at a childcare center in Gwangju, Jan. 30, as the government lifted most mandatory indoor mask-wearing rules. Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

Childcare centers and private tutoring academies are getting closer to a return to pre-pandemic normality, as most COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in Korea including the mask mandate on public transportation amid an overall downtrend in infections.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tuesday, COVID-19 guidelines for childcare centers were eased starting Monday, with the temperature check requirement abolished.

Before the eased guidelines were applied, childcare centers had been required to check the temperature of teachers, infants and toddlers more than twice a day. The eased guidelines call for temperature checks to be carried out when a childcare center has any confirmed cases.

Childcare centers had also been advised to install partition boards at canteens. This has been changed and is now up to each center, with the guideline of "safe distance" at canteens abolished.

The mask guideline for teachers has been changed. Teachers had to continue to wear face masks even after the government lifted most of the mandatory indoor mask-wearing rules on Jan. 30. But under the eased guidelines, they are advised to wear masks only on certain occasions, such as if they have symptoms associated with COVID-19 and if they were in close contact with virus patients.

The requirement for hourly ventilation was changed to every two hours.

Similarly, most private extracurricular education businesses, which sometimes applied harsher COVID-19 restrictions than those applied by government schools to prevent infections on their premises, have recently eased their own restrictions.

Officials from such enterprises said they decided to ease restrictions, reflecting the government's recent decision to end the mask mandate on public transportation. Student pick-up-drop-off vehicles were categorized as "public transportation," thus the mask mandate remained in place there until the government ended it.

"We maintained the mask mandate in classrooms even after the mask-wearing requirements were adjusted on Jan. 30. But we recently changed the mandate to a recommendation, leaving it to the decision of each student," an official from Megastudy, one of the major private education institutes, said.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the COVID-19 situation has maintained a downtrend in recent weeks.

According to the KDCA data, the number of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases on average reported between Feb. 5 and Feb. 11 stood at 13,550.

The figure decreased to 9,361 between Feb. 26 and March 4, and to 9,300 between March 12 and March 18.

Health authorities did not rule out the possibility of an increase in infections following the lifting of the mask mandate on public transportation. But they noted that it would only be temporary and not bring about another pandemic wave.


Emailjjh@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
1ChatGPT: boon or bane for banking industry? ChatGPT: boon or bane for banking industry?
2Korea walks fine line between US, China in chip war Korea walks fine line between US, China in chip war
3Jeju-based shamanism researcher documents connection between humans, crows Jeju-based shamanism researcher documents connection between humans, crows
4Man arrested for opening airplane emergency exit during flight Man arrested for opening airplane emergency exit during flight
5Labor unions seek to attract migrant workers at shipyards Labor unions seek to attract migrant workers at shipyards
6Half of medical tourists visiting Korea inspired by K-culture Half of medical tourists visiting Korea inspired by K-culture
7Hyundai Steel receives EPD certification for low-carbon H-beam products Hyundai Steel receives EPD certification for low-carbon H-beam products
8[RAS KOREA] Preserving memories at Cheongju City Archives RAS KOREAPreserving memories at Cheongju City Archives
9Mirae Asset holds ETF Rally 2023 for global expansion Mirae Asset holds ETF Rally 2023 for global expansion
10Gov't moves to assist 3,400 Koreans stranded in typhoon-hit Guam Gov't moves to assist 3,400 Koreans stranded in typhoon-hit Guam
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Chun Woo-hee becomes chameleon con artist in 'Delightfully Deceitful' Chun Woo-hee becomes chameleon con artist in 'Delightfully Deceitful'
2[INTERVIEW] Long-awaited extension of Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale to be pushed forward INTERVIEWLong-awaited extension of Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale to be pushed forward
3SHINee celebrates 15th anniversary of debut: 'It feels surreal' SHINee celebrates 15th anniversary of debut: 'It feels surreal'
4'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' raises bar with epic battle scenes 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' raises bar with epic battle scenes
5ENHYPEN reaches new career high with latest album 'Dark Blood' ENHYPEN reaches new career high with latest album 'Dark Blood'
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group