1st day of school reopening goes relatively smoothly, with virus worries ever-present

SEOUL. KAZINFORM Schools finally reopened Wednesday after a monthslong closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, putting to the test the government ability to control outbreaks at schools.

In a phased reopening plan, high school seniors became the first group to attend in-person classes, 79 days after the original semester start day of March 2. The other students, including preschoolers, will return to school by June 8, Yonhap reports.

The government has postponed school reopening five times already, as parents and school officials worried about potential coronavirus outbreak. Small clusters of infections added to the anxiety amid prolonged social distancing.

The reopening of schools marks another major development in the government's containment efforts after a new everyday life quarantine, with eased social distancing guidelines, was introduced earlier this month amid a slow spread of the coronavirus.

The country reported 32 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), bringing the total caseload to 11,110.