Martinique: reinforced containment, tourists invited to leave the territory

The authorities on Monday strengthened the containment measures in Martinique, an island in the grip of a severe rebound of the Covid-19 epidemic, inviting tourists to "leave the territory", on the eve of a visit to the West Indies by the Minister of Overseas -mer, Sébastien Lecornu.

"We are going to enter a second phase of confinement", announced the prefect of the West Indian department, Stanislas Cazelles, during a press conference held ten days after the establishment of partial confinement with a curfew of 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. 

Shops and hotels closed 

“The businesses will be closed, except the food businesses and the pharmacies”, he added, inviting “all the people in a situation of tourism who are vulnerable to leave the territory”. “The hotels will be closed, except for the needs. reception of professionals and people residing in the territory, it will be the same for seasonal rentals, "added the prefect, faced with the outbreak of the epidemic in Martinique, which accuses one of the highest rates of incidence in France, nearly 1,200 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, as well as a hospital pressure of 227%. 

"Companies and administrations are also invited to participate in this containment effort, they are invited to organize the service so that as many employees as possible can work remotely", added Stanislas Cazelles.

In this department, moreover, very little vaccinated, less than 22% of the population having received a first dose, "places of leisure and culture will be closed", in particular "the beaches", which "will no longer be accessible to the public", warned the prefect.

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The "stores useful for the start of the school year" will reopen when "the health situation has improved", he added.

Martinicans are also required to travel a maximum distance of one kilometer around their home, against 10 km until then.

"These rules are strict, they will be lifted as soon as the health situation allows," promised the prefect, noting a "review clause in 15 days." After the reconfinement came into force on July 30, clashes had occurred between demonstrators and the police. 

"Crisis visit"

These announcements come on the eve of a "crisis visit" by Sébastien Lecornu to the West Indies where he is expected this Tuesday evening in Guadeloupe, where clashes also occurred overnight from Sunday to Monday, said his entourage. This island has also been subject to containment since last Wednesday, but the measures are not as strict as in Martinique for the moment. "This new wave is much stronger than the previous ones and it puts tension on the hospital system", explains the entourage of the Minister who will go on his arrival at the Point-à-Pître University Hospital "in order to provide support to the staff caregiver ".

The next day, after attending remotely a Health Defense Council by videoconference chaired by Emmanuel Macron, "he will visit a vaccination center and meet a committee of elected officials to take stock of the epidemic and the braking measures", explains the source, specifying that "announcements could be made in the wake". Thursday, Sebastien Lecornu will travel to Martinique where he will follow an identical program with a visit to the CHU of Fort-de-France, a vaccination center and a meeting with a committee of elected officials.   

The Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, will visit Martinique the same day, facing a situation described as "extremely worrying" by the director of the local ARS, Jérôme Viguier.

After his call for mobilization launched on Sunday in a video broadcast on social networks, 240 caregivers responded and will leave Tuesday, August 10 for a 15-day support mission in the West Indies, his cabinet said. 

"Two planes are specially chartered for the occasion, departing from Paris at the end of the afternoon on Tuesday August 10, one to Guadeloupe and one to Martinique," said the same source.

"In addition, equipment has been sent for several weeks to the West Indies to cope with this wave, and these shipments of equipment continue in parallel," she added.