Entered into force on Monday, this new protocol no longer intends to systematically close kindergarten and primary classes when a positive case is detected.
It was an expected consequence. The new health protocol applicable to the school, which entered into force on Monday, drastically reduced the number of closed classes on French territory. According to a statement released by the Ministry of Education on Friday, 4,578 classes were closed due to Covid-19 in France on Thursday December 2 at 1 p.m. For comparison, that figure climbed to 8,890 last week.
End of systematic closures
The reason is simple. This new protocol, revealed by Jean-Michel Blanquer on November 25, came to put an end to the rule that had previously prevailed in the first degree. When a case of Covid-19 was discovered in a classroom, it systematically closed its doors for a week. Leading to mass closures in a context of rebound of the epidemic, which the new protocol has come to end.
Now, when a positive case is detected, all students in the class are invited to be tested, and those who can produce a negative test can resume immediately. The others must isolate themselves for seven days. An alignment on the rules which were valid until then in the secondary.
The measurement was taken when the indicators at the school were turning red. In less than a week, the number of closed classes had increased from 6,000 to 8,500. With this new protocol, they are therefore only 4,578, or 0.9% of the 527,200 classes in the country.
The most affected academies are that of Lyon, with 617 closed classes, and that of Grenoble, where 416 classes were unable to open. Despite the new health protocol in force, class closures still apply, until a sufficient number of students can provide a negative test, or when the regional health agency considers that the situation requires it.
Concerning schools, here too the observed drop is drastic. Of 74 establishments closed last week, there are now 38. 36 schools, two colleges and no high school.
A timid use of tests
But the health situation at school is far from improving. In 24 hours, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases among students increased by 6,261, leading to a total of 33,550 cases. Among the staff of National Education, there are 385 additional cases in 24 hours.
This situation is all the more worrying given that among the 434,816 tests offered during the week of Monday 22 to 29 November, only 227,717 were carried out.
Acceptance of the test for children is still lacking among parents, as a new type of self-test, developed especially for the youngest, is now offered and the epidemic outbreak in children continues.
