The Covid-19 epidemic is on the rise in Martinique, where a state of health emergency, with a curfew, was declared on Tuesday.
No less than 777 additional contaminations were recorded between Monday and Tuesday on the island of the French Antilles.
The number of positive coronavirus cases in Martinique had already quadrupled (410 positive cases, against 110 the previous week) between June 28 and July 4.
It doubled again the following week, with 997 new cases between July 5 and 11.
Figures that jumped the incidence rate: 278 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, against 114 the previous week.
Low vaccination rate
The white plan was activated on Monday and the arrival of national health reinforcements was scheduled. According to a statement from the regional health agency on Tuesday, the vaccination rate on the island is 14.3% for people 12 years and older. By way of comparison, the vaccination rate of the total population in the whole of France is 42.5%. The number of appointments made was however multiplied by three, a few hours after the intervention on the RCI radio, Tuesday morning, of the prefect of Martinique, Stanislas Cazelle.
On Wednesday, the first evening of curfew, which runs from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., led to a demonstration in front of the prefecture buildings in Fort-de-France.
"No to dictatorship", "We are not guinea pigs" or even "Liberty" were chanted during this march of a thousand people.
Another overseas territory, Reunion, in the Indian Ocean, has also been placed in a state of health emergency.
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