Two weeks after lifting mandatory masks in the classroom, the government has reinstated voluntary mass testing in schools in an effort to gauge the evolution of the virus without the cover-up rule in place.

On Monday 21^st March, a new large-scale screening campaign was launched in the Principality’s schools, similar to the one organised after the February school break whereby students, staff and teachers are invited to take a rapid lateral flow Covid test to alert the school of any new cases.

Schools are, by definition, a place of concentrated contact between people. With Covid numbers now rising again, identifying new cases in this microcosm would be an indicator to the government how things are faring two weeks after scrapping mask-wearing at schools.

The self-tests are voluntary and exactly the same as the ones previously used in school campaigns. Notable for being quick, non-invasive, and easy to use, they are also the recommended choice of paediatricians. Results are given in 15 minutes.

Several thousand of these tests are available and the government is encouraging people to take advantage of them. The last two campaigns saw nearly 5,000 participants take part.

The tests will be important in limiting the chains of contamination in a quick and reliable way. 112 new cases of coronavirus were registered in Monaco between 18^th and 20^th March.