Key Points

• In Week 02 (January 11–17, 2021), epidemiological indicators tracking the COVID-19 epidemic show that SARS-CoV-2 transmission has stabilized at a high level in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

• Following a sharp rise in indicators observed in Week 01, after the end-of-year holidays, all indicators are down slightly in Week 02: the testing rate decreased by 4%, the number of new confirmed cases by 7%, and the positivity rate by 0.3 percentage points. The incidence rate has fallen to 206 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (222 in Week 1) but remains higher than the national rate. At the departmental level, only Ardèche (227/100,000), Loire (237/100,000), and Haute-Loire (241/100,000) saw their incidence rates rise. Drôme, which has the highest incidence rate, appears to be stabilizing. The decline in the incidence rate is not observed among the elderly: between S1 and S2, incidence rates are rising among those aged 70 and older, but especially among those over 90 (+16%).

• In community practice, the incidence rate of consultations for acute respiratory infections (ARI), as estimated by the Sentinelles network, is stable, and the number of SOS Médecins medical interventions for suspected COVID-19 is decreasing slightly.

• In social and medical-social facilities (ESMS), the number of new reports (99) is stable, but the number of cases among residents and staff, as well as the number of deaths among residents, is rising sharply.

• In hospitals, the number of emergency room visits has decreased by 4%. The number of new hospitalizations for COVID-19 continues to rise, though at a less pronounced rate than the previous week, with an 8% increase in hospitalizations and a 12% increase in intensive care admissions. The number of hospital deaths has decreased slightly (-9%).

• All-cause mortality continues to show a significant excess at a moderate level across all age groups and at a high level among people aged 65 and older in week 01 in the region.

• The vaccination campaign began in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on January 4. As of January 20, 2021, 77,631 people had been vaccinated (1 dose) against COVID-19 since the start of the campaign, representing 0.97% of the region’s total population. The rise in incidence rates among the elderly underscores the importance of prioritizing the vaccination of this particularly vulnerable population as soon as possible.