Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National

Macron considers worst-case Covid scenario, school closures back on the cards

Macron is under sustained fire after taking personal responsibility for not ordering a third national lockdown at the end of January Ludovic MARIN AFP

High schools in particular are struggling with "half-time" measures imposed last week that divide classes into two, with half of students home schooling in the morning and the other half in the afternoon.

Schools across the country remain open, but individual classes in the 19 departments under partial lockdown now face complete closure if one student tests positive, compared to the previous threshold of three.

“This will mean more class closures in the coming days,” Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said Friday, pointing out that complete school closures would be a “last resort”.

School canteens, which have been blamed by some for accelerating the spread of the virus in schools, may also close on a case-by-case basis, according to Blanquer.

All pupils over six years old must wear masks in schools in France apart from in the canteen and when playing outside.

Reaction on social media has shown that many think stricter measures are long overdue.

A graph of Covid-19 cases in classrooms, produced by data analyst Professor Germain Forrestier of the University of Haute Alsace based on health ministry figures, shows that concerns are not misplaced: charts for the latest week of March show high numbers of Covid-19 cases in the age groups between 10 and 19 in most areas.

If the situation worsens, France could again experience the kind of lockdown seen during the spring of 2020 during the first epidemic peak.

Daily newspaper Le Parisien said on Friday that Macron "may announce school closures" leading to a massive shift towards homeworking as soon as next Wednesday (1 April). Everything depends on figures from the start of next week, according to the paper.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Hang On, Is Miley Cyrus Teasing Hannah Montana's Big Anniversary?
This is the life!
Cinemablend
Cinemablend
Good Omens Is Coming Back, But With the Neil Gaiman Dark Cloud Over It
What is right or wrong with watching Good Omens season 3?
The Mary Sue
The Mary Sue
Woman Threatens That If Son’s Home Is Not “Up To Her Standards,” She’s Calling CPS
These in-laws threatened to call CPS on new parents and later used the good ol' excuse, "It was just a joke." But the parents didn't take lightly to the threats, taking immediate action to make sure the grandparents would have no rights to their daughter and even considered going no…
Bored Panda
Bored Panda
Sony Animation bosses defend decision to release KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix: "It needed time, which you do not get theatrically"
The film is now nominated for two Academy Awards
Total Film
Total Film
What happened to influencer Clavicular at Arizona State University fashion show that led to framemogging trend
“Clavicular Framemogging” is a viral internet slang phrase that began after influencer Clavicular appeared at an Arizona State University fashion show. A video showing him beside a larger fraternity member led users to joke that he was “framemogged.” The strange sounding phrase quickly turned into memes, proving how fast online…
The Times of India
The Times of India
Boofing: why taking illicit drugs rectally is so risky
The route a drug takes into the body can matter as much as the drug itself – and rectal use brings risks that are rarely talked about openly.
The Conversation
The Conversation
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play