From 579 active cases on January 28, to 2,080 on February 4. The number of active cases, that is to say people who tested positive for Covid-19 in the last seven days, has quadrupled in one week in French Polynesia, according to figures released on Friday by the management of the local health. And again: given the low number of tests carried out, these figures “underestimate the actual circulation of the virus”, according to epidemiologist Henri-Pierre Mallet.
The incidence rate now stands at 753 per 100,000 inhabitants, against 317 per 100,000 the previous week. The sudden increase in the number of contaminations has not, for the moment, had an impact on the number of people admitted to the Hospital Center of French Polynesia, where only five people are hospitalized for Covid, including one in intensive care.
The vaccine pass expected for February 8
According to a screening carried out by the Louis Malardé Institute, only the Omicron variant is now present in Polynesia. This screening is however carried out on a small number of samples. In August and September 2021, the Delta wave caused the saturation of the hospital and the death of at least 500 Polynesians, most of them unvaccinated.
In recent months, vaccination has increased significantly in this community, reaching 78.5% of the population over 12 years of age. The vaccination pass will be extended to French Polynesia on February 8. Since December 23, a local law has forced all people who work in contact with the public to be vaccinated, under penalty of a fine.