From Monday March 21, middle school students over the age of 12 and unvaccinated high school students will no longer be required to isolate themselves for 7 days if they are in contact. They must, like their vaccinated comrades, undergo a test on D2 which must be negative.
End of isolation from March 21
As of Monday, March 21, contact case students in middle school (over 12 years old) and high school who are not vaccinated will no longer have to isolate themselves for seven days.. “They will follow the same rules as case contacts presenting a complete vaccination schedule, namely the performance of a self-test on D2″explained the Ministry of National Education on March 17. Wearing a mask inside schools, however, remains strongly recommended “pwithin 7 days of the occurrence of the confirmed case“. Parents of pupils with at-risk contact cases will be given a free self-test on presentation of the letter provided by the establishment and the CPAM will be able to check the status of at-risk contact pupils (vaccination, Covid-19 history) and send the elements to the staff of Health of National Education added the Ministry of National Education.
In which cases are students considered contact cases?
Since Monday, March 14, the health protocol in schools has been reduced and moved to level 1. Students no longer have to wear masks indoors, including in class. In contrast, high school students who until now were not considered a contact case when they were vaccinated and wore the mask, will now be when one of their comrades has tested positive. They will therefore have to make a D+2 test and can only return to class if it is negative. “All students who have shared a class with the confirmed case (common core class, specialty groups, options, languages, etc.) are considered to be at-risk contacts, without distinction between students who have or have not worn the mask.“, specifies the Ministry of National Education in its new health protocol at school. Besides, he recommends “strongly the wearing of the mask indoors for 7 days after the occurrence of the confirmed case“to the students contact case. The ministry also specifies that, as far as possible, at-risk contacts will be sought outside the classroom (for example, students from another class having lunch at the same table as the confirmed case).
Remember that since February 28, the policy of detection of positive cases at coronavirus has also evolved. Since that date, students, like school staff members who have been declared contact cases, only have to realize a single self-test or antigen test on D2 instead of three. And since the end of the February school holidays, parents no longer have to fill out a sworn statement to allow their child to return to class.
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 (until March 21 for those not vaccinated). Isolation can be shortened to 5 days following a negative antigen or PCR test and in the absence of symptoms for 48 hours.
- 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 return to school or establishment is made, subject to continued strict compliance with barrier measures.
- 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. From March 21, students and unvaccinated staff will no longer have to isolate themselves if they take a test and it is negative on D+2.
- 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 on D2 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, students under the age of 12, regardless of their vaccination status, do not have to isolate themselves if they carry out a test (self-test or antigen test) 2 days (D2) after the last contact with the confirmed case or at the time information on the occurrence of the case if it occurs more than 2 days after the last contact.
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. Students who have contracted Covid-19 for less than two months are not subject to the screening obligation.
Since March 14, all high school students, whether vaccinated or not, will be considered a contact case “if they shared a class with the confirmed case. (common core class, specialty groups, options, languages…)”. They will therefore have to carry out a test (self-test or antigenic test) 2 days (D2) after the last contact with the confirmed case or at the time of the information of the occurrence of the case if it occurs more than 2 days after the last contact. 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 two months are not subject to the screening or quarantine requirement.