Some 340 schools in South Korea have temporarily shut down or postponed the start of the new semester due to fears of the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

According to the Ministry of Education on Monday, 245 kindergartens, 53 elementary schools, 21 middle schools, 16 high schools and one special-education school postponed reopening following winter vacation or have suspended operations.

Most of the 336 schools are located in Suwon and Bucheon in Gyeonggi Province and Gunsan in North Jeolla Province, where confirmed cases have been reported. 

Education authorities decided the previous day to allow schools in areas where confirmed patients lived or traveled to temporarily shut down.

Educational authorities in Suwon and Bucheon ordered all kindergartens and elementary and secondary schools in their jurisdictions to close for a week.

Authorities in Goyang, also in Gyeonggi Province, recommended closures for all kindergartens for one week.

In Gunsan, all kindergartens and elementary and secondary schools were ordered to shut down for two weeks.