Key Points

In Martinique, the COVID-19 situation worsened in Week 1. The incidence rate recorded during Week 1 was the highest
ever recorded in the territory since the start of the pandemic. Virological and hospital indicators were on the rise. The strain on hospitalizations, which was already high before the start of this fifth wave, continues to increase,
though not at the same explosive rate observed through virological surveillance. The 20–29 and 30–39 age groups were particularly affected. The effective reproduction number (R_e) calculated from data reported in SI-DEP for samples collected between January 2 and 8, 2022, was 2.00 [1.95–2.04], significantly higher than 1, reflecting the progression of the epidemic amid an increase in the prevalence of Omicron target mutations. However, a decrease in the number of deaths was observed in S01.