To be tested, three self-tests are enough, and parents can wait until the end of the day to pick up their child contact case at school. Finally, only one certificate is now necessary to declare your child negative for Covid.
Since January 14, 2022, contact tracing protocol for all departments, has evolved at school. Thus, regardless of the protocol level, students case contact can continue the day or half-day of class while waiting for their parents to pick them up at the end of class. Those who are under 12 years old as well as those over 12 years old benefiting from a complete vaccination schedule will be given free of charge 3 self-tests in pharmacies and no longer have to perform an antigen or PCR test. For the return to school, parents must provide a certificate of honor from the first self-test, in order to ensure that their child is negative and will have to carry out two other self-tests on D+2 and D+4.
What are the isolation rules at school?
Following the opinion of the High Council for Public Health, new isolation and quarantine rules apply since January 3, 2022. New measures also apply in a new version of the school health protocol, updated on January 6, 2022:
► Students and staff contact cases who have had Covid-19 for less than two months are not subject to mandatory screening or quarantine. They will have to present a certificate of reparation.
► If a student in the class returns to school after presenting a negative test and a self-test comes back positive thereafter, the other students in the class will not need to restart a new screening cycle with three tests. This cycle restarts only if the second confirmed case has had contact with the other students after a period of 7 days following the identification of the first case.
► At school, positive students under the age of 12 as well as older students with full vaccination status, isolation is 7 days. It can end after 5 days following a negative antigen or PCR test. If they are contact cases, they do not need to isolate themselves but must carry out a PCR or antigen test immediately and then self-tests on D2 and D4. Note that when carrying out the first test in the pharmacy, parents receive the two self-tests to be carried out on the second and fourth day free of charge. If the first test is carried out in the laboratory, the parents will receive a voucher allowing them to collect the self-tests free of charge from the pharmacy.
► For positive students over the age of 12 as well as unvaccinated staff or without a complete vaccination schedule, the isolation period is then 10 days, or 7 days following a negative antigen or PCR test (carried out on the 7th day). If they are contact cases, the isolation period is 7 days. “Isolation ends after 7 days if an antigen or PCR test is carried out and its result is negative” specifies the Ministry of National Education.
► In case of lack of self-tests, it is recommended to carry out an antigen test, or PCR, the result of which must be obtained before the resumption of classes.
► No class closure from 3 confirmed cases. In primary school, only pupils with a negative test or self-test every two days are admitted to school. Consequently, “there is no longer any need to automatically close the class if three positive cases are identified”. The ministry nevertheless specifies that depending on the situation, and due to a large number of cases, the reception of all the pupils of a class, a school or an educational establishment may be suspended.
Confirmed cases at school: what happens to students positive for Covid?
Covid-positive student or staff must not go to school or to the establishment before a
help 5 to 10 days. Isolation can be lifted at 7 days or at 5 days depending on the case with a negative antigen or PCR test result and in the absence of clinical signs of infection for 48 hours: from the onset of symptoms for symptomatic cases, or from the positive sample for asymptomatic cases. In case of fever on the 5th day, this period is extended until 48 hours after the disappearance of this one.
- The isolation period is 7 days for students under 12 or over 12 as well as staff with full vaccination status. Isolation can be shortened to 5 days following a negative antigen or PCR test.
- The duration of isolation is 10 days (or 7 days following a negative PCR or antigen test) for those over 12 and unvaccinated personnel, as well as those who do not have a complete vaccination schedule.
- The isolation period is 7 days for staff or pupils with contact cases at school over the age of 12 who have not been vaccinated or without a complete vaccination schedule. Isolation ends at the end of these 7 days after a negative antigen or PCR test.
- Students under 12 (regardless of their vaccination status), those over 12 and staff with full vaccination status do not need to self-isolate provided that an antigen or PCR test is carried out immediately after the occurrence of a positive case at school, and that the result is negative.
If a student is positive for Covid in a nursery or elementary school, he will immediately be isolated from the rest of the class. The other students will then be screened and the reception of students is suspended pending the results of the tests. To continue face-to-face learning, students must present a negative antigen or PCR test, and parents must attest on their honor that they have carried out two negative self-tests on D2 and D4 from the first test. If the test is positive, the student therefore becomes a confirmed case and will have to isolate themselves for 7 days or 5 days. If the test is negative, the student can return to school and attend extracurricular activities. “In the absence of presentation of an antigen test or PCR for pupils in the class and other pupils who are at-risk contacts outside the class, the suspension of face-to-face reception is maintained for a period of 7 days which can be reduced to 5 days on presentation of an antigen test or Negative PCR and during which the affected students benefit from remote learning. The information communicated by the school serves as proof of the suspension of reception.“says the Ministry of National Education.
As for adults, the length of isolation differs depending on the vaccination schedule for students aged 12 and over. Thus, the student must respect a 7 day quarantine after last contact with confirmed case and test immediately, then after 7 days from last contact with confirmed case unless he is under 12 years old or if he has a complete vaccination schedule (two doses for 12-17 year olds), in which case he will not need to isolate himself. Immediate screening must nevertheless be carried out (antigen test or PCR) and self-tests must be carried out on D2 and D4. If the middle school or high school student is negative, he can continue face-to-face lessons while strictly respecting barrier gestures. Remember that students who have contracted the virus for less than two months are not subject to the obligation of screening or quarantine.
To be able to return to class, the parents will have to attest on their honor, from the first day, that the child has carried out a negative test. In the absence of this certificate, the quarantine will be extended until it is produced or, failing that, up to 14 days.
days.