Home care workers, after-school tutors to receive 500,000 won in COVID relief

SEOUL, Dec. 14 (Yonhap) -- Around 90,000 home care workers and after-school tutors will receive 500,000 won (US$458) in coronavirus relief funds from the government in the first half of next year, the labor minister said Monday.

The payment is part of a government plan to support essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Labor Minister Lee Jae-kap said during a virtual briefing from the administrative city of Sejong.

The essential workforce also includes health care workers, delivery workers and sanitation workers.

At President Moon Jae-in's orders, the government set up an interagency task force in October to come up with ways to protect and support such workers.

Home care workers are at high risk of infection while only earning 1-1.4 million won a month on average, the ministry said.

After-school tutors have also suffered financially as a result of the pandemic due to increased remote learning and canceled after-school classes, it said.

The relief funds will be drawn from COVID-19 donations given by the Korea Federation of Banks, the Korean Financial Industry Union and other organizations, the ministry added.

hague@yna.co.kr
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