Key points

In week 43, the resumption of the pandemic was confirmed with the continued increase in the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in metropolitan France.

• Metropolitan France:

  • Incidence rate above 50/100,000 inhabitants among 10-79 year-olds

  • Incidence rate above 50/100,000 inhabitants in 58 departments

  • R number >1, reflecting the growth of the epidemic

  • Strong decline in the screening rate among children under 10 years due to the school holidays

  • Rate of new hospital and intensive care admissions: disparate evolution depending on the region

• Overseas France:

  • French Guiana: incidence rate still falling

Variants

• Delta variant identified in 100% of sequenced samples in Flash Surveys on 5 and 12 October 2021

Contact tracing

• Higher number of cases but stable number of contacts per case

• Increase in the average age of cases and contacts since week 37, calling for greater vigilance and the administration of the booster dose to the eligible populations

Prevention

• Vaccination on 2 November 2021 (Vaccin Covid data):

  • 76.4% of the French population had received at least one vaccine dose, and 74.6% were fully vaccinated

  • 19.8% of people aged 65 years and older had received a booster dose

• Importance of combining measures: vaccination, including the booster for the population over 65 years, adherence to contact tracing, and respect of preventive measures