A total of 2,109 students in Seoul have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week, before the partial reintroduction of remote school classes against the fast spread of infections, officials said Monday.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, elementary school virus cases in the capital from Dec. 13 to Sunday stood at 1,248, followed by those in middle schools and kindergartens at 406 and 169, respectively.

The rate of in-class infections was recorded at 24.6 percent, up 0.4 percentage point from last week. The office added that 206 school employees have contracted the virus during the period.

The in-person school attendance rate in the capital stood at 69.5 percent Monday, down from 87.8 percent a week ago.

As part of the government's strengthened virus curbs, schools in the greater Seoul area reintroduced partial e-learning classes Monday as the country struggles to tackle the recent surge in coronavirus infections, including cases of the new omicron variant. (Yonhap)