Covid-19: Guadeloupe reconfined for three weeks from Wednesday
The entrance to the University Hospital Center in Pointe-à-Pitre, July 30, 2021. AFP - YANNICK MONDELO
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Guadeloupe will be re-defined for a period of at least three weeks from Wednesday 8:00 p.m., the prefect of this French overseas territory announced on Monday.
The health situation there is worrying: the number of Covid-19 cases has multiplied by more than 10 in three weeks, a rate never seen on the island.
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The prefect of Guadeloupe is sounding the alarm.
"
We have entered an extremely difficult phase
," said Alexandre Rochatte on Monday, referring to "
essential measures when we see what is happening during the weekend when the curfew has been reinstated
".
From Wednesday evening, the curfew will therefore be advanced to 8:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m., and during the day there will be movement restrictions in a 10 km sphere around his home.
Beyond that, a compelling reason will be required and a certificate will be necessary.
If the shops remain open, as well as the restaurants at noon, the bars will all be closed, as will the gymnasiums, stadiums and swimming pools.
It will be forbidden to picnic on the beaches and to take sound systems on the boats to organize parties.
All the events for the month of August will be canceled or postponed, in particular the patronal festivals, much celebrated in Guadeloupe.
On the beaches, only the "dynamic" presence will be allowed, as part of a walk, swimming or individual sporting activity.
On the other hand, the so-called “static” presence will be prohibited.
The Caribbean island follows the neighboring territory of
Martinique
, confined since Friday evening for three weeks as well.
Reunion Island, also a French department in the Indian Ocean, has been subject to re-containment since Friday, in an attempt to stem a
rapid increase in Covid cases
.
In these overseas departments, vaccination rates are much lower than those of the Metropolis, and local health systems threaten to be quickly overwhelmed.
(With
AFP
)
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France
Guadeloupe
Overseas
Coronavirus
Confinement