新闻视频：赴考人数创新低(lowest on record) 疫情下韩国高考"开幕"

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[S. Korea Students Sit for Crucial Exams amid Virus]

Nearly 50,000 South Korean students sat for their crucial college entrance exam today with strict distancing and disinfection measures at all of the test sites. 

Each exam room was limited to a maximum of 24 students. All windows were kept open in order to keep the room properly ventilated. South Korea also has set up isolation rooms at all exam sites for those showing suspicious symptoms. The country has reported over 500 new cases of coronavirus over the past two days. 19 exam proctors were replaced yesterday after one of them was confirmed as positive in Daejeon, in central South Korea. This year's test had been originally scheduled for November 19th but was delayed for two weeks due to the recent increase in cases in the country. The number of university candidates has fallen by about 10 percent compared to last year, it is the lowest on record since the college entrance exam system began in 1993.

【以下为中文新闻稿，非翻译稿】

眼下，韩国正遭遇第三波疫情。但已推迟2周的2020年韩国高考，仍然在今天上午拉开帷幕。今年，韩国共有49.3万考生参加高考，较去年减少超一成，创韩国确立现行高考制度以来的最低纪录。

一大早，天刚蒙蒙亮，考生们就赶着奔赴各地考场。

受新冠疫情影响，不少国家推迟或取消全国性考试，本次韩国高考因而备受瞩目。

考生们必须佩戴口罩，保持社交距离。在完成体温测量后，才可进入考场。

为防止发生聚集性感染，所有考场均开窗保持通风，每个考生的座位前都设置有玻璃隔板。每个考场最多容纳24名考生，以保证考生保持社交距离。尽管今年报名人数创历史新低，但考场数量超过3万，较去年几乎翻倍。监考人员和防疫人员多达12万人。

与此同时，为保证所有考生都能参加高考，超过37.5摄氏度或出现可疑症状者与居家隔离考生一同在发热考场参加考试；确诊感染考生在隔离病房或隔离设施参加考试。

今年的韩国高考原定于11月举行，受疫情影响，考试时间被推迟2周。但就在开考前夕，韩国疫情出现明显反弹，考前两天，韩国新增确诊病例数均突破500例；昨天，大田市1名监考人员确诊感染，导致19名监考人员被紧急替换。

部分民众因此呼吁进一步推迟高考，但教育部最终决定如期开考。