Paris (AFP)

"If it were necessary to project additional means" in Overseas to fight against the coronavirus, "we would do it within the limits of our capacities", promised Wednesday Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, during questions to the government in the Senate.

"This epidemic is to be taken seriously, and it is to be taken perhaps even more seriously in the island territories," acknowledged the Prime Minister, who replied to the senator from Mayotte (LREM) Thani Mohamed Soilihi.

It is necessary in these territories "to take care to slow down perhaps even more than on the metropolitan territory" the propagation of the virus, "taking into account the limits of the existing medical supply" in Overseas.

The Prime Minister assured that "if it were necessary to project a certain number of additional means bound for the Overseas, we would do it within the limits of our capacities", to "face a considerable challenge which is announced to us ".

"The prefects may be, and no doubt will be, led to take strict measures, in particular curfew measures, or even more severe confinement measures than those which prevail on metropolitan territory," added Edouard Philippe. Two prefects, in Guyana and Mayotte, have already taken curfew orders.

He recalled that "very harsh decisions limiting, even very severely limiting commercial flights to Overseas", were also taken, and that all those who go to overseas territories are imposed "about fourteen strict ".

According to Senator Thani Mohamed Soilihi, "more than 330 confirmed cases of coronavirus are to date diagnosed in Overseas", a figure "certainly underestimated", and which is sometimes added, as in Reunion and Mayotte, to those related to the dengue epidemic.

Mayotte now has "35" cases of coronavirus, he said. And 111 in Reunion, according to the last ARS count on Wednesday.

"The complicated health situation of these territories, linked to their insularity, their remoteness and their isolation but especially to the low capacity of reception of the patients, makes unanimously fear an explosion of the number of contaminations", underlined the deputy, recalling that in his department, "the already saturated hospital has only 16 intensive care beds" and only "28 liberal doctors", for an official population of 256,000 inhabitants.

He also recalled that "a large part of the population lives in precarious and promiscuous conditions conducive to the spread of the epidemic".

© 2020 AFP