South Korea has cancelled the planned reopening of schools next week because of the danger of the coronavirus as clusters of infections flare, and will instead launch online classes while delaying the annual college entrance exams, according to Reuters.

Authorities have postponed the beginning of the new school semester three times from early March to April 6, and have decided to do so again, given the persistence of the outbreak.

“We regret that we have not reached levels where children can go to schools safely even though we mobilised all our capabilities to substantially decrease risks of infection,” Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a televised meeting of government officials.

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