Schools across the country will be allowed to replace in-person classes with online classes during the initial two weeks of the spring semester amid the rapid spread of the omicron variant. 

The education ministry on Monday shared the decision reached during a meeting led by Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae earlier in the day regarding COVID-19 response in the new school year. 

During the meeting, participants agreed to designate the March 2 to March 11 period as an “adjustment window” in which schools will be permitted flexibility on class time, remote classes and classroom density given concerns of widespread in-school virus transmission. 

The ministry had previously offered guidelines for switching to online classes, including when students newly testing positive for the virus reaches three percent or the ratio of students kept from attending classes due to infections or quarantine topping 15 percent. 

A ministry official said the decision to enhance flexibility in class operation reflects growing expectations among health experts that the current omicron-led wave of the pandemic may peak in early or mid March.