Covid-19: in the West Indies, an "extremely serious" situation before the ministerial visit
Intubation of a patient in a Covid-19 unit, in Pointe-à-Pitre, August 6, 2021. AFP - CEDRICK ISHAM CALVADOS
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7 mins
Despite the curfew and partial confinement introduced last week to curb the Covid-19 epidemic, the West Indian departments are experiencing a significant upsurge in cases.
Overseas Minister Sébastien Lecornu is expected during the day, this Tuesday, August 10 in Guadeloupe.
He will go to Martinique on Thursday for a "
crisis visit
" and to show the state's support for the medical personnel mobilized.
Olivier Véran, Minister of Health and Solidarity, is also expected on site.
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Additional staff should come to fill the ranks in the hospitals.
It is therefore a crucial week which begins in the West Indies.
The figures reach a record in the two departments.
If the number of cases soars, the incidence rate is just as important: greater than 1,000 per 10,000 inhabitants, in Martinique.
In Guadeloupe, from August 2 to 8, the incidence rate reached 1,769 per 100,000 inhabitants, against 876 the previous week.
In comparison, the incidence rate in metropolitan France, also in the grip of a new wave, reached 232 per 100,000 inhabitants.
The other important data, the Delta variant, much more contagious, represents 88% of the contaminations on the archipelago.
Unvaccinated patients
Hospitals are facing a large influx of new patients, the vast majority of whom are unvaccinated.
Resuscitation beds are scarce and, while caregivers of course remain mobilized, health establishments are still understaffed.
In fact, 240 nurses, doctors, resuscitators and volunteer firefighters flew from Paris on Tuesday to help the teams on site in the two departments.
They are general practitioners, anesthetists, emergency doctors.
Without hesitation Isabelle Alves, intensive care nurse, volunteered ...
Report: in Orly, the departure of caregivers for the West Indies
Sylvie Koffi
The Director of Health, Jérome Salomon, came to support health professionals in Orly, ready to embark and who mobilized en masse to lend a hand to their colleagues in the West Indies.
Health professionals in the West Indies are waiting for their colleagues in metropolitan France who will obviously strengthen all the axes [...] We really have a panel of experts who have experience of the pandemic who will help.
Jérôme Salomon, Director of Health
Sylvie Koffi
The two islands carried out the first evacuations of patients to hospitals in France in early August.
Meetings with elected officials and prefects are also planned to discuss any additional restrictions.
If the measures taken last week are starting to show their effects, the situation remains very worrying.
Tighten braking measures
"
The situation is extremely serious,
" Sébastien Lecornu told Agence France-Presse before leaving for the West Indies.
"
These are incidence rates that we have never known in all the territories of the Republic combined,
" he added, considering a probable strengthening of containment in Guadeloupe, further north.
"
It makes sense that we will have to tighten the braking measures as there is urgency,
" said the minister Tuesday evening in Guadeloupe.
The decision should be taken Wednesday, after consulting local elected officials and attending by videoconference a Health Defense Council chaired by Emmanuel Macron.
The Minister of Overseas Territories will travel to Martinique on Thursday where he will be joined by the Minister of Health Olivier Véran.
In Martinique, only 22% of the population received a first dose of vaccine.
By way of comparison, at the national level, Olivier Véran announced that 80% of adults were “first-time vaccinated”.
In Martinique, subject to partial confinement since July 30, shops (except food shops and pharmacies), seasonal rentals and hotels (except for the reception of professionals and residents), places of culture are now closed. and leisure activities including beaches.
Travel is restricted to a maximum of one kilometer around the home, against 10 km until then.
Tourists are encouraged to leave the island.
To make matters worse, a tropical storm threatens Guadeloupe and Martinique which were placed on yellow vigilance on Tuesday.
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