Mayotte under a bell.

The French government has announced the reconfinement of this overseas department for at least three weeks, starting on Friday, February 5 at 6 p.m. local time (i.e. 4 p.m. in Paris, 3 p.m. GMT).

In one month, the incidence rate of Covid-19 has dropped from 50 to 415 per 100,000 inhabitants, the authorities suspecting an explosion of cases of the British and South African variants in this department of the Indian Ocean.

"Since February 1, three municipalities (Bouéni, Pamandzi and Dzaoudzi Labattoir) were confined due to the observation of particularly high incidence rates (...) In order to limit the strong circulation of the virus, it was decided to 'extend confinement to the entire territory of Mayotte from Friday, February 5, 6 p.m. (Mayotte time), for a period of three weeks, "said Thursday, a statement from the Ministry of Overseas.

According to the ministry, this decision is justified by a "very strong increase in hospitalizations of Covid cases in recent days": "77 patients are currently hospitalized and 11 patients are in intensive care".

From January 3 to February 3, the incidence rate rose from 50 to 415/100 000 inhabitants with a positivity rate of 17%.

In addition, patients admitted to intensive care are younger (between 45 and 60 years old) and present more serious forms with severe acute respiratory distress.

"It is very likely that this presence of younger people in intensive care is explained by the confirmed presence of the 202012/01 (identified in the United Kingdom) and 501 (identified in South Africa) variants of Covid-19", explains the Ministry.

The virus "affects more young people"

"The virus is circulating everywhere, it affects more young people and we even had a death of a person who was barely 25 years old. And it is more likely to affect fragile people", said Dominique Voynet, director of the Regional Health Agency of Mayotte, invited just like the prefect Jean-François Colombet, Thursday evening, on Mayotte la 1ère (France Televisions).

As part of this confinement, "schools and educational establishments will be closed, due to the very large number of cases detected in young people, unlike the Hexagon and which is no doubt explained by the strong circulation of the 501 variant ".

But the rectorate will organize pedagogical continuity.

The counters of public services will be closed except those of the gendarmerie, police and health centers.

Telecommuting will be the norm.

Non-essential businesses will be closed and restaurants will be able to open for take-out or delivery, as will pharmacies, banks or the post office.

"Food aid" put in place

"We will be alongside the Mahoraises and Mahorais to support them in this ordeal: emergency economic measures will be put in place, as well as food aid. National solidarity will be there," said the Minister of Overseas -mer, Sébastien Lecornu, quoted in the press release.

For the LR deputy of Mayotte, Mansour Kamardine, this confinement is not the solution.

"The living conditions and access to basic services (water, electricity) of half the population make confinement impossible to respect".

The deputy asks the government to speed up vaccination in Mayotte, sufficient permanent reinforcements in addition to the reinforcements obtained by the ARS and a commitment from the Comorian government to stop the kwassa, these light boats prized by illegal immigrants coming to Mayotte, because it deplores the daily arrival of illegal migrants affected by Covid-19 from the Union of the Comoros.

With AFP

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