Launch of saliva tests at school, February 11, 2021 in Paris.

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ERIC TSCHAEN-POOL / SIPA

After a special winter vacation, it's back to school soon.

The Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, said on Saturday that the health rules put in place in schools to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will be "stabilized".

"There are few things that change at the start of the school year precisely because we want to stabilize the rules," said the Minister of Education on BFMTV, while the pupils and teachers of zone A will return to class on Monday after the holidays winter.

Class closure in case of variants

Asked about a possible relaxation of the rules of the health protocol, Jean-Michel Blanquer reiterated that "for the moment, we are on a stabilization of the rules", while stressing that it was "inevitable" that the rules continue to evolve .

Seeming to take note of the epidemic evolution, the National Education adopted at the beginning of the week a new health protocol relaxing the rules which impose a class closure in the event of contamination by the British variant.

From now on, three positive cases for the English variant lead to the closure of a class and education personnel are no longer systematically considered as contact cases, in the presence of positive pupils.

The minister specified that the presence of a single case of the South African or Brazilian variant could lead to the closure of an establishment.

Deployment of saliva tests from Monday

The Minister of National Education also affirmed that "according to the studies" which he was able to consult, he "observes that during the holidays, they [the children] tend to be contaminated more" than during the school period.

He therefore considers possible an increase in contamination after the holidays, which end on Monday for students and teachers in zone A, on March 1 for those in zone B and on March 8 for zone C. “It is to be feared but that's why I say to all those who listen to us: "pay attention during the holidays! Holidays do not mean loosening sanitary rules".

We have to call on everyone's responsibility, ”he said.

In addition, saliva tests will begin in schools after the school holidays.

Jean-Michel Blanquer assured that "between 50,000 and 80,000 tests" will be carried out "from next week", to reach 200,000 tests per week.

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  • Society

  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Education

  • school

  • Jean-Michel Blanquer