In Week 07 (February 14–20), the epidemiological situation improved nationwide and across all age groups in terms of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and its impact on the healthcare system. Indeed, the effective reproduction number (Rt) had remained below 1 for three consecutive weeks, and the decline in incidence and positivity rates continued, with the national incidence rate falling below the threshold of 1,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Hospital admissions were declining, as were admissions to critical care units. In week 08 (February 21–27), the epidemiological situation continued to improve, with a 30% decrease in the incidence rate and a 3.4-point drop in the positivity rate. This trend was observed across all regions and age groups. At the same time, the effective reproduction number (R_eff) remained below 1 for the fourth consecutive week. Hospital and critical care admissions were also declining, as was COVID-19-related mortality, although the number of deaths still exceeded 1,000. The BA.2 sublineage of the Omicron variant continued to spread and had become the dominant strain in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. As of March 1, 82.7% of those aged 65 and older and 74.2% of those aged 80 and older had received a booster shot. In this favorable context, it appears essential to maintain preventive measures (wearing masks, handwashing, ventilating enclosed spaces) as part of a comprehensive prevention strategy, particularly to protect the most vulnerable. Adherence to other recommended measures—particularly in the event of symptoms, a positive test result, or exposure to a confirmed case—as well as participation in contact tracing, remains essential to sustaining the current trajectory of the epidemic.

Decline in the incidence rate for the fourth consecutive week across all age groups

Nationally, the incidence rate fell by 30% to 585 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, representing just under 60,000 new cases on average per day. This decrease was observed across all age groups, particularly among those aged 40–49 (-35%) and 30–39 (-34%). This week, the incidence rate was highest among those aged 20–29 (790, -25%). The testing rate also decreased, as did the positivity rate, across all age groups. In metropolitan France, the incidence rate was declining in all regions. It still exceeded 700 per 100,000 inhabitants in three of them: Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Grand Est, and Brittany. The testing rate also decreased across the entire metropolitan territory. It was above 3,000 in four regions and remained highest in Corsica. In the overseas territories, the incidence rate was decreasing across all regions. It remained highest in Réunion and Martinique. The testing rate was also declining in all regions, and remained highest in Martinique.

Continued decline in hospital indicators across all regions

Nationally, the decline in the number of hospital admissions (-33%) and intensive care admissions (-31%) continued. As of March 1, the number of hospitalized patients was below 25,000. The number of deaths in hospitals and social and medical-social institutions (ESMS) followed the same trend (-32%). As for excess mortality from all causes, it began to decline in week 06, a trend that continued more markedly in week 07. Focus: Surveillance in Social and Medical-Social Institutions on page 8 In metropolitan France, rates of new hospitalizations were declining across all regions. The highest
rates were in Grand Est, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. Rates of new admissions to intensive care were declining in most regions and stable in Corsica, Normandy, and Grand Est. In the overseas territories, rates of new hospitalizations and new admissions to intensive care were decreasing in all regions. The highest rates for new hospitalizations and intensive care admissions were observed in Réunion and Martinique.

Omicron now accounts for 99.6% of interpretable sequences; the BA.2 sublineage continues to spread

In week 08, the dominance of Omicron in mainland France observed in screening data was confirmed by sequencing data from the Flash S07 survey (02/14), where it accounted for 99.6% of interpretable sequences, as in the Flash S06 survey (02/07). The Delta VOC accounted for only 0.4% of interpretable sequences in the Flash S07 survey. The B.1.640 VOI has not been detected since Flash S02 (Jan. 10), but cases were identified outside of Flash surveys through week 06. Preliminary data from the Flash S08 survey (02/21) also indicated the dominance of Omicron and the near-disappearance of Delta. To date, the Omicron VOC includes three sublineages: BA.1 (and its sublineage BA.1.1), BA.2, and BA.3. The Omicron sequences identified in France belong overwhelmingly to the BA.1 sublineage (35% of the 1,829 Omicron sequences in the Flash S07 survey) and its BA.1.1 sublineage (40%). The proportion of the BA.2 sublineage has been increasing nationwide since early January: it accounted for 9.2% of Omicron sequences in Flash S05 (Jan. 31), 15.4% in Flash S06 (Feb. 7), 25% in Flash S07 (Feb. 14), and 38% in Flash S08 (Feb. 21) (preliminary data). The rise of BA.2 at the expense of BA.1 is observed in all regions of mainland France, but at varying levels depending on the region. Furthermore, this sublineage has been predominant in Nouvelle-Aquitaine since S07, a region where it appears to have been introduced earlier.

Since February 18, 2022, a Delta/Omicron recombinant (to which no lineage name has yet been assigned) has been subject to enhanced monitoring by Santé publique France and the CNR Virus des infections respiratoires. The majority of its genome corresponds to the Delta variant (sublineage AY.4), but a large portion of the S gene (encoding the Spike protein) corresponds to the Omicron variant (sublineage BA.1). As of March 2, 18 sequences of this recombinant have been detected in France, including 13 during Flash investigations. More information is available in the variant risk analysis dated February 23, 2022.

Nearly 83% of people aged 65 and older have received a booster shot

As of March 1, 2022, the estimated vaccination coverage of the general population based on Vaccin Covid was 79.3% for a complete primary vaccination series and 57.9% for the booster dose. Among those aged 18 and older, 72.5% had received a booster dose, and 82.5% of those eligible for the booster as of that date had actually received it. Among those aged 65 and older, 82.7% had received a booster dose, and 90.9% of those eligible for it as of that date had received it. In addition, 9.1% of children aged 10 to 11 had received a first dose of the vaccine (3.1% for those aged 5 to 9).

Furthermore, Santé publique France has published an update on the Surveillance of COVID-19 Cases Among Healthcare Professionals in Healthcare Facilities and a Summary of Contact Tracing Activities