Like an air of déjà vu.

To stop the increase in contamination by Covid-19, wearing a mask is once again compulsory in elementary school from Monday, November 15 throughout France.

Until now, schoolchildren from CP to CM2 had to wear the mask in 61 departments.

All of France is now concerned.

"All departments are going to level 2 of the health protocol" on Monday, with "wearing a mask again for all students" in elementary school, the Ministry of National Education announced on November 9, following the intervention by President Emmanuel Macron.

This generalization of the wearing of a mask marks a step backwards.

The government announced in September the end of wearing masks in primary school in the departments least affected by the epidemic.

At the beginning of October, 47 departments had been able to remove it, followed by others in the following weeks.

In total, the wearing of masks at school had been lifted before the All Saints holidays in 79 departments, before coming back in force with the resumption of the Covid-19 epidemic.

A 40% increase in the incidence rate in one week

Since the return from the All Saints holidays a week ago, students from CP to CM2 have put back the mask in 39 metropolitan departments where they had removed it as well as in Reunion, bringing to 57 metropolitan departments and four overseas the number of communities where it was mandatory.

Faced with the epidemic rebound, Emmanuel Macron spoke to the French on November 9, in particular putting pressure on seniors to be injected with a booster dose, on pain of losing their health pass. 

"The fifth wave has started in Europe, in the United Kingdom, in Germany, where more than 30,000 new additional cases are recorded every day", noted the head of state, who argued a "situation in France more favorable "but a 40% increase in the incidence rate in one week.

Regarding the school, the head of state said that "even if [he] knows [t] how difficult it is, the wearing of a mask at school will therefore be maintained for the moment".

With AFP

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