South Korea schools forced to close again after second wave of coronavirus

Hundreds of schools in South Korea were forced to close just days after reopening due to an unexpected spike in coronavirus cases, according to a report Friday.

The country reported 79 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday — the most in two months — shuttering at least 251 schools near the western city of Bucheon, according to the BBC.

Students in the area were forced to resume studies online shortly after 2 million students across the nation headed back to the classroom Wednesday, the outlet reported.

The frightening new wave of illness is linked to a major e-commerce distribution center in Bucheon that officials say was not complying with infection prevention, according to the report.

Health officials reportedly discovered traces of COVID-19 on workers’ shoes and clothes at the facility, which is owned by the firm Coupang. One student, whose mother worked at the warehouse, was found to have the virus, according to the BBC.

At least 117 more schools in nearby Seoul have also postponed their reopening, education officials told the Korea Times. On Friday, 58 new cases were recorded in South Korea, bringing the total number of cases to 11,402.