Just days after pupils in South Korean pupils returned to classrooms, the country has been forced to close schools again following a spike in coronavirus cases.

Thousands of pupils returned on Wednesday but just one day later 79 new cases were recorded, with over 200 schools forced to close as a result, the BBC has reported.

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Most of the new cases were linked to the city of Bucheon, where it is said that a warehouse was not complying with infection control measures. As a result, 251 schools in Bucheon have closed, while a report by the Korea Times states that 117 schools in Seoul have also delayed their reopening.

A pupil in Seoul whose mother worked at the warehouse was found to have the virus.

Public parks and museums across Seoul and nearby cities have also closed, and people are once again being asked to avoid mass gatherings.