France closes 81 schools after cases reported

A total of 81 schools have closed in France after students tested positive for the virus, up from 28 schools early last week.

Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said a further 2,100 individual classes have also been called off.

Classes are shut down “as soon as there are three cases,” he told LCI television.

“We have around 1,200 new covid cases among students compared with last week,” he added.

There has been an increase in coronavirus cases in France since August.

The University of Rennes suspended classes this week for second and third year medical students after 83 tested positive.

On Saturday, more than 10,000 cases were confirmed in the country.

Restrictions have already been tightened in Bordeaux and Marseille after a surge in cases.