Key Points

An acceleration in the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 was observed in week 18. The incidence rate increased by 62% compared to the previous week; positivity and testing rates were also on the rise, up 6.6 percentage points and 18%, respectively. The effective reproduction number (R_e) reflected an acceleration in viral transmission across the region; it stood at 1.41 with a 95% CI [1.36–1.46] (significantly greater than 1) over the 7-day rolling period from May 1 to May 7, 2022.

In hospitals, a marked increase in the number of visits to adult emergency departments was also observed, as well as in pediatric emergency departments. The number of new hospitalizations in general medical wards was stable; however, there were 3 new admissions to critical care units versus none the previous week.

The start of the school year in Week 16, against the backdrop of the lifting of mask mandates (end of the state of emergency on March 31, 2022), contributed to the spread of the virus within schools, as evidenced by the rise in the incidence rate among 10- to 19-year-olds between Weeks 17 and 18 (+110%) and +89% among 0- to 9-year-olds over the same period. The situation must be closely monitored in the coming weeks, particularly in hospitals.