The start of the school year, scheduled for Monday in Reunion, is postponed in 14 of the 77 schools in Saint-Denis after the identification of several outbreaks of Covid-19, Mayor Ericka Bareigts announced Thursday and wearing a mask will be mandatory from Saturday in "some public places" of the island, said the prefecture.
"The unfavorable evolution of the number of positive Covid-19 cases this week confirms a clear acceleration in the circulation of the virus in Reunion," said the prefect of Reunion, Jacques Billant, in a press release.
"Make the wearing of a mask compulsory"
He announced his decision to "make the wearing of the mask compulsory from Saturday August 15", in particular on "the open-air fairgrounds", "near the accesses of schools, higher education and nurseries" and “in the most frequented sites”.
Reunion Island had 754 cases of Covid-19 on Thursday since the appearance of the first case on March 11 (+52 cases in 48 hours). In 14 schools in Saint-Denis, the start of the school year will be on Monday, August 24, one week after the other schools. 2,712 of the 17,000 students enrolled in nursery and elementary school are concerned. In middle and high schools, the start of the school year will take place on the date initially planned.
On Tuesday, health authorities revealed the existence of a home in Sainte-Clotilde, a district east of Saint-Denis. The contamination occurred on July 29 during a wedding party bringing together several dozen guests. Around a hundred "contacts linked to this event have been identified at this stage of the investigations". In 48 hours, 31 people have already tested positive.
"There are holes in the racket"
Two other sources of contamination of "four people each, of a family nature, bringing together indigenous cases" were revealed Thursday evening by the ARS. “Many Reunionese have gone on vacation to France and around the world. From the moment people go on vacation and come home, there is a risk of contamination, ”commented Ericka Bareigts.
She stressed that according to health authorities, "70% of travelers did not submit to the recommended screening test seven days after their arrival" on the island. "There are holes in the racket," she added, declaring herself in favor of resuming mandatory screening for travelers. "This decision is not within my competence," she said.
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