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LIVING IN FRANCE

MAP: France now divided into green and orange zones for easing of restrictions

Since May 11th, France has been divided into two zones - red and green - which determine how strict the lockdown rules are. But on Thursday the French PM unveiled a new map with the country divided into green and... orange zones.

Published: 28 May 2020 18:40 CEST
Updated: 28 May 2020 19:58 CEST
MAP: France now divided into green and orange zones for easing of restrictions
Photo: AFP

The version of the map that has been in use since May 11th has large chunks of the country coloured red – showing that there is still a high level of virus circulation and pressure on hospitals.

MAP The French départements that have seen the highest death rates during coronavirus epidemic

The map for phase 1 – May 11th to June 2nd. Map: Santé Publique France

But when the second version was unveiled on Thursday there was some very good news – all the red had disappeared from the map.

Instead the country was virtually all green, with only selected small areas in orange, a new addition to the map which means there is still cause for concern, but the situation has improved.

“Things are looking good, but not good enough to return everything back to normal,” said PM Edouard Philippe.

 

 

The map for phase 2 – June 2nd to June 22nd

The greater Paris Île-de-France region is coloured orange, as well as the two overseas départements of Mayotte and French Guiana.

Those areas showed higher rates of the virus and higher pressure on hospital intensive care beds.

Grand-Est – the worst hit region of France and the place where the epidemic began – has now moved to green along with the regions of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Hauts-de-France.

“We will particularly keep an eye on the situation in Île-de-France, French Guiana and Mayotte,” said Philippe.

READ ALSO Why some Paris suburbs had such a high coronavirus death rate

Detailing the differences between départements on the map, Health Minister Olivier Véran said Île-de-France was in a “particular” situation due to its “high circulation of the virus in certain départements” and continued pressure on hospitals.

“We have decided that decisions in Île-de-France should be taken on a regional level and not a départemental level,” Véran said, stressing that the situation would be followed closely in all of the country's départements.

“I repeat, being green does not mean the virus is gone,” the health minister said.

As with the previous map, the colour of the area where you live determines how strict lockdown rules are.

Here are the main difference.

Cafés, bars and restaurants – in green zones these can reopen completely but in orange zones only outdoor terraces can reopen

Schools – Primary and secondary schools can start to fully reopen from June 2nd across the country, but lycées (high schools) will only reopen in green zones.

Gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres – these can reopen on June 2nd in green zones and June 22nd in orange zones

Theatres, museums and tourist attractions – can reopen on June 2nd in green zones and June 22nd in orange zones.

Campsites – can reopen on June 2nd in green zones and June 22nd in orange zones

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SCHOOLS

Are packed lunches really banned in French schools?

School children in France are entitled to a lunchtime meal of three, or even four courses – but what if you prefer to provide meals yourself? 

Published: 22 May 2024 12:24 CEST
Are packed lunches really banned in French schools?

French school meals are, famously, pretty good – children get a three or even four-course meal of properly prepared dishes and the menu (including cheese course) is usually published in the local town newsletter so everyone can see the types of meals being served.

The concept of a proper meal at lunchtime is an important one. “The diet of a school-age child is essential for their growth, mental development and learning abilities,” the French Education Ministry says in a preamble about school meals on its website. “It must be balanced, varied and distributed throughout the day: for example 20 percent of total energy in the morning, 40 percent at midday, 10 percent at four o’clock and 30 percent in the evening.”

And it’s not all about nutrition, the social aspect of sitting together and eating a meal is also important – the ministry continues: “Mealtime is an opportunity for students to relax and communicate. It should also be a time for discovery and enjoyment.”

All schools provide meals in a canteen and most pupils take up the opportunity – however it’s also possible for pupils to go home at lunchtime so that they can eat lunch with their parents.

The idea of taking in a packed lunch (panier-repas) is much less common in France – but is it actually banned?

The rules on lunch

At écoles (up to age 11), the local authority or établissement public de coopération intercommunale (EPCI) is responsible for providing quality school meals. This generally involves meals being provided via a central kitchen, and then delivered to the school’s kitchen, where it can be kept warm, or reheated as necessary.

The system is slightly different in collèges and lycées (attended by children aged 11 and up). In those establishments, catering falls into the purview of the wider département or region – and is routinely managed directly by individual establishments, which will have catering staff on site to prepare meals. Often, meal services are outsourced to private businesses, which operate the kitchens.

There are various rules and regulations in place regarding what food is offered, and how long a child has to eat – which is, in part, why the school lunch period is so long. Children must be allowed a 30-minute period to eat their meal, from the moment they sit down with it at the table. 

Then, they’re given time to play and relax before afternoon classes start.

READ ALSO What you need to know if your child is starting school in France

At a minimum lunch must include a main course with a side dish, a dairy-based product, as well as a starter and/or a dessert. Meals must also, the government says, be composed of 50 percent sustainable quality products (including 20 percent organic).

Some local authorities go further and serve only or mostly food that is organic, locally sourced or both.

Water and bread must be freely available, but salt and condiments can only be added in preparation – no sauce bottles or salt and pepper on the tables. 

Daily menus are generally available to view on school websites and many town newspapers or newsletters also publish them.

Parents pay a fee for the school lunch, which is calculated according to income and can be free in the case of low-income families.

Packed lunch

But what if your child doesn’t like the school lunches and you don’t have time to pick them up, cook a full lunch and take them back in the afternoon everyday? The obvious solution would seem to be to send them in with a packed lunch, as is common in the UK and USA.

In theory this is possible, but only in certain circumstances and with very strict rules and caveats. 

The Ministry, in a written response to a Senator’s question in 2019, said: “The use of packed lunches [home-supplied meals] by primary school students can provide an alternative to school meals. This method of catering is authorised in particular for children with a medically established food allergy or intolerance, requiring an adapted diet.”

READ ALSO How to enrol a non-French speaking child in school in France

It added: “the preparation and use of packed lunches in schools must follow certain rules. First of all, it is important to respect the cold chain”.

The cold chain is a term applied to food handling and distribution – it’s usually used by food-preparation businesses, but in the context of a packed lunch it means that food prepared at home must be kept in appropriately cool conditions until it is ready to eat. It would be the responsibility of parents to ensure that the food is delivered to school in containers appropriate for the job (ie an insulated cool bag).

Once at the school, it is up to whoever manages the kitchen to ensure that food is properly reheated. This becomes the sticking point at which many parents’ requests to send their children to school with a packed lunch, rather than go to the canteen, or eat back at home, are refused.

The reheating concern suggests that schools are also expecting parents to prepare a proper meal – rather than just throwing some sandwiches and a cereal bar into a bag.

Unless there’s a genuine and proven health reason for your child to eat a home-prepared meal, most parents will probably find the school won’t budge on this – even in cases of a strike by kitchen staff or lunch monitors.

READ ALSO Just how much do private schools in France cost?

The Ministry’s written response explains: “[A]s this is an optional public service, the municipality can justify its refusal to admit the children concerned by objective material and financial constraints, such as the need to equip itself with additional refrigerators, or for additional supervisory staff to supervise them during lunch.”

As well as the practicalities, for some schools this is an equality issue – because of the varied fee structure for school lunches what happens in effect is that richer parents are subsidising a good quality lunchtime meal for poorer students in the class; if everyone brought in a packed lunch and therefore stopped paying the fee, the lower-income kids would miss out. 

What about allergies or other health issues?

Children with allergies or other health issues that require a particular diet must be accommodated. An individual meal plan – known as a projet d’accueil individualisé (PAI) can be set up. More details (in French) are available here, on the government’s website.

It also becomes easier for parents to provide home-produced meals in such instances. As ever, it is up to the parents to ensure any meals are appropriately packaged and transported to school.

Not all schools

Some individual schools in France do permit pupils to bring in meals from home. They must be taken to school in an appropriate cold-storage container, and they will be stored in the kitchen area until they are needed, when meals will – if necessary – be reheated.

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