Daily COVID-19 cases are expected to top 200-thousand on Wednesday as students return to school for the new semester.

According to a compilation of provisional data from regional governments, the number of new COVID-19 cases in 17 cities and provinces already stood at 204-thousand-960 as of 9 p.m. Tuesday, a whopping 70-thousand more cases from the previous day. The official daily tally compiled by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency will be announced on Wednesday morning.

Such a hike in the number of new infections was largely expected amid the ongoing spread of the omicron variant, but still draws concerns as many students are scheduled to return to classrooms.

Education authorities are seeking to “normalize” primary and secondary education in line with government policies promoting a return to day-to-day lives. The government also provided schools with guidelines on when to return to remote classes, including new COVID-19 patients accounting for three percent or more of the student body.

The first two weeks in the spring semester, however, will be operated with flexibility, allowing schools to opt for online classes, shorten class duration or lower classroom density, particularly those located in regions reporting many new infections.

Most students will go to school on Wednesday, however, to fetch rapid antigen test kits, with which they are advised to self-test twice a week, and attend new semester orientations.