After three weeks of closure of all schools, primary and nursery schools reopen this Monday April 26 with a strict protocol. Similar to the one put in place before the last confinement, the school health protocol still has some new features. Passeport Santé takes stock.
Systematic closure of a class from the first case of Covid
From Monday April 26, if a student tests positive for Covid-19, their entire class will be closed for a period of seven days. Indeed, the new school health protocol provides for the systematic and automatic closure of a class from the first case of Covid as announced by Jean-Michel Blanquer ” We will close the class as soon as there is a case of contamination “. In this sense, all students will be sent home to isolate themselves 10 days from the date of the first symptoms for symptomatic cases and from the date of sampling for asymptomatic cases. This measure is national, so it applies to all establishments in the territory.
High schools and some half-gauge colleges
High schools and college students will resume their face-to-face lessons from May 3, as Emmanuel Macron announced in his last televised address. The high school students will be in half-gauge as well as the 4th and 3rd pupils of the colleges located in the fifteen departments most affected by the epidemic (the North, the Aisne, the Oise, the Yvelines, the Seine-et- Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Hauts-de-Seine, Val d’Oise, Marne, Essonne, Paris, Sarthe, Loire, Rhône, and Bouches-du-Rhône).
In addition, the ministry encourages teaching outdoors when the weather permits: “ If climatic and material conditions allow, all solutions or alternatives to classroom teaching may be sought, in particular outdoor activities or lessons. “.
Reinforcement of saliva tests
For this new school year, the authorities have focused on strengthening screening. It is thus expected that 400,000 saliva tests will be deployed in elementary schools with a target of 600,000 per week by mid-May. “ We will concentrate this screening system in the departments where the incidence is the highest. », Clarified Prime Minister Jean Castex.
Self-tests for high school students and staff
Another novelty of the school health protocol: the government has ordered 64 million self-tests for students over 15, teachers and National Education staff. From May 10, high school students will have to do one every week in their establishment. As for the staff, they will receive two per week, to be carried out at home. Note that staff members and students will be “ tested on a voluntary basis »With parental consent for minors, as specified on the website of the Ministry of National Education.
If the High Authority of Health prohibits, for the moment, the use of self-tests to the less than fifteen years, it must decide soon on the possibility of extending this measure.
Respect of distances and non-mixing in the canteen
The new health protocol does not provide for any change for meals in canteens. Indeed, the rules remain the same, namely: the non mixing of the pupils while respecting a distance of at least two meters between the pupils of different sections. “ The greatest vigilance must be brought to strict compliance with the rules concerning the restoration time.school ion »Recalls the protocol of the Ministry of Education. If the Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer decided to “ advise parents not to send their child to the canteen when they can “, He nevertheless indicated” We will not go any further. Socially, the canteen remains necessary “.
