Asia Today: S Korean students return to class; 32 new cases

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean students began returning to classes Wednesday even as the country counted another 32 new coronavirus cases.

It was the first time in nine days the daily increase in cases is above 30. South Korea relaxed much of its social distancing rules in early May, but then saw a spike in new infections linked to nightclubs in Seoul.

Hundreds of thousands of high school seniors were allowed to return to classes under new rules: temperature checks before entering school and masks at all times. Some schools installed plastic partitions at each desk.

The Education Ministry said lower-level students are set to go back in phases in coming weeks.

The new school year was supposed to start in early March, but it had been delayed several times. About 5.4 million students have been subsequently taking classes online.

In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:

— FIVE CASES IN CHINA: China is continuing to combat a virus cluster in its northeastern province of Jilin, with four out of five new cases reported Wednesday in the region north of Beijing. Authorities believe the outbreak may have begun among a group of family members and friends who gathered for dining and drinking without maintaining social distancing. Just 87 people remained in treatment, while 375 others are under isolation and monitoring. China has recorded a total of 4,634 deaths from the virus among 82,965 cases.

— SINGAPORE'S PHASED REOPENING: Singapore, which has one of the highest infection rates in Asia, plans to exit a partial lockdown June 1 over three phases. Officials say businesses that do not pose a high risk of transmission can reopen June 2 but some retail shops, personal services and dining at restaurants will remain shut. Schools will reopen in phases and...