The government remains on its “line” of closing schools “only as a last resort”. The start of the new school year will take place as planned on January 3.
The start of the school year will take place as planned on January 3, but the screening for Covid-19 will be extended in schools, Jean Castex said on Monday, describing an “extremely tense health situation”.
The government remains on its “line” of closing schools “only as a last resort”. “It is for this reason that we will not postpone the start of the school year nor will we switch colleges and high schools to distancing,” explained the Prime Minister at the end of a Health Defense Council and a Council of Ministers dedicated to the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic in France.
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“We will amplify our policy of surveillance and screening in schools at the start of the school year,” announced Mr. Castex.
The Minister of Health Olivier Véran added that “if new data were to appear in France or abroad” on the impact of the Omicron variant on children, the government could be required “to take all necessary measures to protect them “.
On the eve of the holidays, 3,150 classes were closed in France due to the epidemic
For the moment, “we continue to work with the Minister of National Education to strengthen the measures which are likely to reduce the risks, in particular the question of ventilation, of the equipment of the classes which are not yet. in CO2 sensors, “said Mr. Véran, also referring to screening.
More than 100,000 new cases had been recorded on Saturday, December 25, a figure unprecedented since the start of the pandemic, against the backdrop of records of tests carried out during the holidays. On the eve of the holidays, 3,150 classes were closed in France due to the epidemic, a figure “in stagnation”, then specified the Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer. This figure is partly explained by a new protocol decided at the end of November and which no longer provides for the closure of a class from the first case detected.
In terms of screening before the end of year holidays, 400,000 tests were offered each week in primary school but only 200,000 were carried out, “because we only have 50% acceptance from parents”, had regretted Mr. Blanquer.
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