Key Points

In Martinique, an increase in SARS-CoV-2 circulation was observed in week 51. The incidence rate adjusted for the effect of the December 25 holiday and the positivity rate were higher than the previous week, despite a decrease in testing (incidence rate adjusted for the effect of the December 25 holiday). The most affected age group was 15–44 years, particularly those aged 30–39 and 20–29. The effective reproduction number (R_e) calculated from data reported in SI-DEP for samples collected between December 19 and 25 was 1.14 [1.06–1.21], significantly greater than 1, indicating an escalation of the epidemic. In addition, the Omicron variant was identified for the first time through sequencing in week S51. The hospital remained under extreme strain.