French teachers go on strike over handling of pandemic

By SYLVIE CORBET
The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — French teachers expressed anger at the way the French government is handling the virus situation in schools, denouncing confusing rules and calling for more protection in a nationwide strike Thursday. Exhausted by the pressures of surging COVID-19 cases, many teachers answered the call by 11 unions to protest virus-linked class disruptions and ever-changing isolation rules. France is at the epicenter of Europe’s current fight against COVID-19, with new infections topping 360,000 a day this week, driven by the highly contagious omicron variant. Health Minister Olivier Veran announced on Twitter Thursday he was tested positive to the virus and was placing himself into self-isolation to continue to work.