Situation update

In week 31, the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 was still high throughout the country, with once again an average of over 22,000 diagnosed cases per day. However, the increase in the number of new cases was very moderate in metropolitan France. The highest incidence rates were still found among 10-39 year olds, and the increase compared to the previous week mainly concerned persons aged 40 and over, reflecting the spread of the epidemic from the youngest to the oldest in the population. Despite the continued impact of this fourth epidemic wave on hospitals, the increase in new hospital and intensive care admissions was less marked than in previous weeks. With regard to overseas France, the situation in Guadeloupe and Martinique is very worrying. Contact tracing data indicate poorer identification of contacts and transmission chains during this summer period. As of 10 August 2021, 67.4% of the French population had received at least one vaccine dose and 56.4% had been fully vaccinated. Given the current context, the vaccination of all eligible people must continue to be strongly encouraged to achieve a sufficient level of herd immunity, and must be associated with a high level of adherence to other preventive measures, notably by respecting protective measures, limiting at-risk contacts, and self-isolating in the event of symptoms, confirmed infection, or contact with a confirmed case. Combining accelerated vaccination with these various actions which limit the transmission rate may have a major impact on hospitalization dynamics.