France
France closes 22 schools due to COVID-19 infections in first week of new school year
Moscow/Sputnik: France was forced to halt the activities of 22 schools after new coronavirus cases were detected among the pupils days after the new school year began, Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said on Friday on the Europe 1 broadcaster.
He noted that over half of the 22 establishments were closed on the French mainland, and the rest are located in the overseas territories, including the island of Reunion.
"There are twelve closed facilities in the Metropolitan [France] today, at the Reunion we have ten. All in all, that's 22 [schools]," Blanquer said.
The minister clarified that, usually, a school is closed when at least three COVID-19 infections are confirmed within it, followed by a transition to virtual learning.
He also said that if the mass closure of educational facilities is necessary in the future, the authorities would initiate a protocol to help families whose children would have to receive their education via digital means.
France is currently experiencing a second surge in COVID-19 infections, with the new daily record high of 7,379 infections registered on August 28. In the wake of the resurgence, the government has reimposed some sanitary measures across the country, in particular, the requirement to wear face masks.
As of Friday, France has registered 338,220 COVID-19 cases and 30,712 related fatalities.
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