In the aisles of a large shopping center in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, families thronged Saturday, in search of the last school supplies before the start of the Tuesday. But this year, several purchases, such as masks or laptops, were dictated by the threat posed by the health crisis.

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Home straight for parents this weekend in stores, two days before the start of the school year. Between the usual list of school supplies, and the anxiety generated by the deterioration of the health situation on the territory, the families questioned by Europe 1 in a large shopping center in the 15th arrondissement of Paris had put in their trolleys, pell-mell: notebooks, pens, agendas, sometimes computers, and especially the new essential accessory for middle and high school students, the mask.

In the middle of the crowd, Cyprien comes out of the mall with a brand new computer under his arm. He took the lead for his daughter who enters sixth grade on Tuesday. This birthday present could, according to him, be useful this year. "We do not know very well if there will not be a new confinement, and therefore need a computer to work from home," he explains.

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Two disposable masks per day

When leaving the shops, families crowd around the hydroalcoholic gel dispenser. It is difficult to respect physical distance in crowded stores, says Katia, who is accompanied by her two daughters. For them, the last back-to-school purchases are made at the pharmacy: "We're going to look for masks! We need a lot since they ask for two a day if they are disposable."

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For her part, Marie-Pierre has still not been informed of the list of supplies for her son Sasha. "Instead, I bought pants, a little jacket, lots of cool things," she slips. This mother is keen on this ritual, for this particular start of the fifth year, after six months without having set foot in college.