A beach in Reunion Island (illustrative image).

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VALERIE KOCH / SIPA

Faced with the rise in South African variant cases on the island of Reunion, the government announced on Friday the strengthening of the means to fight against the coronavirus epidemic, in particular by increasing hospital capacity and extending the curfew.

Increase in hospital capacities and national reinforcements, acceleration of the vaccination campaign, extension of curfew measures and reinforced control of compelling reasons for traveling ... Several measures were announced by the Minister of Overseas Territories, Sébastien Lecornu, and the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, in a joint press release.

Additional staff

“On January 17, the first cases of contamination by the 501.V2 variant of Covid-19, which appeared in South Africa, were detected in Reunion.

Since then, cases (…) have been identified on a regular basis, which testifies to a proven circulation on the territory ”, explains the press release.

In addition, "the hospital structures of Reunion today welcome many patients from Mahora in medical evacuation", adds the text.

"Partial reorganizations of the medical activity of the CHU de La Réunion and the CHOR have been carried out".

Several conventional hospitalization units, in the private and public sectors, can also be transformed into Covid medicine beds, "if the health situation requires it", assure the two ministers.

To support this rise in power, "an anesthesiologist, four general practitioners, 18 nurses specializing in intensive care, 14 general care nurses and 13 nursing aides will be screened by the health reserve from Friday", as well as "5 doctors and 5 nurses ”for medical evacuations between the two islands, according to the statement.

Expedited vaccine delivery

It was also decided to speed up vaccine deliveries to Reunion Island, in order to vaccinate people at risk as quickly as possible: 8,190 doses of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine will be delivered from the week of February 15, then a minimum of 30,420 additional doses by the end of March.

The curfew introduced from February 12 on four municipalities in the department has been extended by the prefecture to three additional municipalities - Sainte-Suzanne, Salazie and Etang-Salé - since Thursday evening.

Finally, in order to strengthen the control of compelling reasons on the Reunion-Mayotte and Reunion-Hexagone routes, "a procedure for the examination by the State services of supporting documents for compelling reasons will be put in place", upstream of flights to Mayotte and Reunion, from Saturday 27 February.

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