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France to start easing COVID-19 restrictions after school holidays
The Xinhua reported, French Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer said here on Friday, France will begin easing COVID-19 restrictions when schools reopen after the February holidays.
Students will return from the break on Feb. 21 in the country's school holiday Zone A and on Feb. 28 in Zone B.
He said, primary schools will move from a Level 3 COVID protocol to a more relaxed Level 2.
The wearing of face masks will no longer be mandatory in schools' outdoor spaces and the individual educational institutions' safety rules will be determined at school rather than at class level.
Except contact sports, students will be allowed to play sports indoors without a mask.
Under the relaxed rules, students identified as close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case will only need to take one self-administered test instead of the current three.
"This system will make the lives of parents and teachers easier," Blanquer said, adding that "the health situation in the country's schools is improving, it is even better than what was expected."
Citing an "improvement in the health situation," Minister of Health Oliver Veran said on Friday that the updated rules will no longer require people to wear face masks indoors from Feb. 28.
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However, the mask mandate remains in force on public transportation and in indoor areas where the vaccine pass is not mandatory.
The French government has been gradually easing COVID-19 restrictions since Feb. 2.
From Feb. 16, people will be allowed to eat snacks and drink in stadiums and cinemas, and to drink while standing in bars and during concerts. Night clubs are also set to reopen on that day.
France announces new Covid-19 restrictions but no curfew for New Year’s eve
On Thursday, the French Public Health Agency reported 153,025 new COVID-19 cases, a decrease compared to previous weeks. According to the agency, 79 percent of the country's population have already been fully vaccinated.
Source: xinhua
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Amid growing anxiety among several European countries participating in NATO over Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated he looks forward to sitting down with Trump.
Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.
Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.
On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.
It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.
Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.
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