Key points

Guadeloupe

• Biological surveillance indicators for COVID-19, based on the use of RT-PCR and antigen tests for COVID-19 diagnosis, have been below the alert thresholds for three weeks. The positivity rate was even below the vigilance threshold last week. Viral transmission within the population is decreasing.

• Last week (2020-48), the incidence and positivity rates were below the alert thresholds, at 29 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and 4.4%, respectively. The incidence rate among those aged 65 and older was 26 per 100,000 inhabitants.

• In primary care and hospitals, the number of visits for acute respiratory infections, the number of new hospitalizations, and new admissions to intensive care units stabilized at low levels last week. The number of emergency room visits and deaths occurring in hospitals, meanwhile, decreased compared to the previous week.

• At the same time, the effective reproduction number** (R0), which describes the transmission of the virus between people, has stabilized. As of December 4, the R0 calculated over a 7-day rolling period based on laboratory data is estimated at 0.75 [0.58–0.94] and is therefore significantly below 1.

Saint Martin

• Epidemiological surveillance indicators have fluctuated over the past few weeks. However, an acceleration in virus transmission was recorded last week. The virus is still actively circulating in Saint Martin.

• Incidence and positivity rates rose sharply last week (2020-48), with rates of 207 per 100,000 inhabitants compared to 81 per 100,000 inhabitants in week 47, and 19.2% compared to 10.4% in week 47. The trend in the number of outpatient visits remained stable.

Saint-Barthélemy

• Epidemiological surveillance indicators show a slight decrease in viral circulation over the past week.

• Last week (2020-48), the number of cases (13 cases versus 17 in 2020-47), the positivity rate (4.8% in 2020-48 versus 6.7% in 2020-47), and the incidence rate (133 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2020-48 versus 174 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2020-47) all decreased. Given the small size of the population, the incidence rate quickly exceeds the vigilance or alert thresholds; this trend should therefore be interpreted with caution.