The third wave of Covid seems to be hitting full force in the capital and tension is mounting in Parisian schools.
The number of positive cases continues to increase.
This Monday, the elementary school at 173, rue du Château-des-Rentiers (13th century) had to be closed for a week, due to lack of staff.
Out of 12 teachers, 8 were positive, not to mention the headmistress herself ill.
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“The situation is starting to be really very complicated to manage,” admits Jérôme Coumet, mayor (Paris in common) of the 13th century.
“I have alerted all parents to be ready to have to babysit their children.
Sanitary protocols are strict and closures are likely to multiply.
Last week, a canteen had to be closed because a member of staff was positive and, despite their reinforced protection (charlotte, gown, masks, gloves), all his colleagues were considered as contact cases, ”reports the elected official.
From 34 to 112 classes closed in one week
Last week, the situation seemed particularly critical in three arrondissements: the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
But at the crisis meeting of district mayors on Monday morning, the city councilors noted that, now, the health crisis is spreading.
At the end of last week, the statistics transmitted by the rectorate already showed how the epidemic was spreading in Parisian schools.
In one week, the number of closed classes rose from 34 to 112 and the number of positive cases among students rose from 508 to 912, while it more than doubled among staff, from 60 to 142.
“The number of contaminations seems to increase especially among the teaching staff.
Without wanting to complicate their lives, I think that the lunch break where the teaching team finds itself in cramped premises should be reviewed.
Because, under these conditions, it only takes one teacher affected and the whole team must go into isolation, ”observes François Dagnaud, mayor (PS) of the 19th century.
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Emmanuel Macron spoke on Tuesday of a vaccination of teaching staff in mid-April while this Sunday, the mayor of Paris had already requested that vaccination be open to all those who wish, including teaching staff.
“The spring school holidays begin on April 17, that is to say in three and a half weeks.
It's still far away.
What emergency measures is the government taking in the meantime?
»Asks Patrick Bloche, deputy (PS) of Anne Hidalgo in charge of education.
“They are at their end.
The stress of the situation, the fatigue accumulated during the last months… Directors, teachers: the situation is becoming more and more difficult for them, ”observes Jean-Pierre Lecoq, mayor (LR) of the 6th arrondissement.
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In the 18th century, at the Genevoix school where several cases of Covid began to appear on March 12, the teachers decided to exercise their right of withdrawal while continuing to welcome children whose parents work and are unable to keep.
A "minimum service" sanitary in a way.
But weariness and worry are at their height.
Schools transformed into "daycare"
“We can no longer provide education: we play the daycare card.
Nothing moves.
Only the town hall sent a cleaning team to make up for the shortcomings of staff who were absent because they were ill.
There, we feel abandoned.
We are worried about ourselves, the children, the parents.
Our working environment is no longer secure or reassuring.
We no longer know how to do it, ”sighs François, elementary school teacher.
“It's getting long.
We asked to close the school and have saliva tests.
The
whatever the cost
to our minister is becoming a problem.
What we want to do is education, not daycare, ”adds Judith, who works in kindergarten.
Asked about the number of classes and schools closed to date in Paris, the rectorate indicated that it would only communicate the data at the end of the week.
According to our information, this Monday evening, the ARS (regional health agency) and the rectorate announced to the City of Paris 181 closed classes (schools, colleges and high schools, public and private combined).
