France’s Education Minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, on Friday, confirmed that 22 schools have had to close down, due to a rise in coronavirus cases.
Blanquer noted that over half of these cases were in the Indian Ocean island of La Reunion.
Speaking with Europe 1 radio, he, however, said he was pleased with how the return to school had progressed since children went back on Tuesday.
10 schools have closed in mainland France and 12 on La Reunion, where there has been a recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
Up to 130 classes have also been halted within schools and the minister said the authorities were checking around 250 incidents related to Coronavirus in schools every day.
These incidents are mainly linked to “factors outside school concerning people who could have been contaminated” over the summer, he said.
More than three COVID cases mean that the school is temporarily shut, he said.
France is currently experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases, with 7,157 new cases reported on Thursday.
