A total of 5,764 students in Seoul have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week, more than doubling the number from a week earlier due to the fast growth in new omicron variant cases, officials said Tuesday.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the number of virus cases among kindergarten to high school students in the capital from Jan. 7 to Sunday increased 3,009 from 2,755 in the previous week.

In-class infections climbed by 157 to 589, but the rate of in-school transmissions fell 5.5 percentage points to 10.2 percent, suggesting an increase of growth in transmissions from non-school activities.

Amid the fast growth in new virus cases, the office has adopted a four-tier school operation scheme for the upcoming spring semester beginning in March, which ranges from normal in-person schooling to virtual classes depending on the virus situation in each school.

It also plans to hire more personnel for school disinfection work and provide financial assistance for schools to purchase disinfectants and other virus-related products. (Yonhap)