The High Council of Public Health has delivered its recommendations for the reopening of universities in France in September 2020.
Closed since last March because of the coronavirus epidemic, universities should reopen next September, but not without some precautions.
This is the message from the High Council for Public Health (HCSP) which published on Wednesday 15th July 2020 its new doctrine on the subject. It was on the advice of the HCSP that the Ministry of National Education largely relied on to draw up its return circular.
Students must have their own masks
Taking into account the health situation on July 7, the HCSP issued new recommendations. Thus, the wearing of the mask will have to be “systematic when the rules of physical distancing (…) cannot be guaranteed”, we can read in this new doctrine.
The wearing of the mask could even be compulsory in all circumstances since the Prime Minister announced this Thursday that the mask should be worn in closed public places “from next week” .
The HCSP also indicates that it will be the students’ responsibility to equip themselves with masks, the establishment must provide masks only to its staff.
More flexible schedules
In the amphitheatres, the HCSP advises the installation of gauges to regulate the number of students and to avoid “too large groupings and crossings”. Likewise, for university libraries and restaurants.
To do this, the High Council evokes the possibility of expanding “the time slots and opening days to accommodate more students”. In addition, the HCSP recommends setting up pre-registration at a fixed time to regulate attendance.
Alternate presence
Another solution is the organization of “rotation on face-to-face lessons if all the students cannot be accommodated”. An alternative which could, therefore, restore the prominence to distance courses which were the norm at the end of last year.
Finally, to avoid cluster formation, the health authority mentions the possibility of offering systematic screening campaigns. A possibility which remains conditioned to the “national orientations” which will be taken in this field.
